Back on the Road Again
by ClynStories
Summary: A deep breath and two steps. That was all that it took to jump-start her hunting life. Amber hadn't hunted for years, taking some time off to go to school, but now it was time to get back in the game. (Dean/OFC) *AU* Many facts changed! Age gap between Dean & Sam is 9yrs instead of 4yrs. I don't own Supernatural or its characters. I'm also a poor student so lawsuits are pointless.
1. Chapter 1

A deep breath and two steps. That was all that it took to jump-start her hunting life. Amber hadn't hunted for years, taking some time off to go to school. After she had learned her grandfather had passed at the hands of vampires, she couldn't keep focused on her civilian lifestyle and before she knew it she was back at Ellen's roadhouse. She wasn't really sure where to start after spending years out of the game, but somehow she felt this place may hold the answer. So, taking a deep breath she boldly took those two steps through the door of the roadhouse and her journey had begun.

If you didn't know better the place would seem like an average bar. There was laughter, conversation, men playing pool, jovial arguments over beer, but she knew better. There was Ash, still sporting a mullet, hanging out near the pool tables, one of the best in research there was. She wondered if he still had that sign that hung on his door, Dr. Badass. Amber chuckled to herself remembering the first time she met Ash when she accompanied her grandfather here for the first time. Behind the counter was Jo, just a couple of years younger than Amber and incredibly eager to prove herself as a hunter. Not to be seen was Ellen, the owner of the bar and the person Amber needed to speak to. Before she could speak to Jo about her mother a tap on her shoulder brought her out of her silent observations.

"Well, look who finally showed up.."

"Cason McGuin…never thought I would see you again" Amber smiled back in response.

"We all thought you had quit the hunters life to become some big fancy scholar at that school you were so proud to move away to"

"Emory is a tough one to get into, especially when you didn't stay at the same high school for longer than a month" she countered grinning.

"Anyways it's great to see you back" he said as he turned back to his game of pool "I was sorry to hear about your grandfather, he was a hell of a man." She smiled, nodded and returned to her original mission. She turned back toward the bar to look for Jo to ask her about her mom when there was a loud noise that sounded outside the roadhouse. She started to ignore it when she heard voices rise into what sounded like a heated argument, she sighed internally, and _men_ she thought.

"What is that?" called a strong familiar voice from behind a set of doors.

"Just some idiots" responded Jo passively. Not satisfied with the answer Ellen swiftly walked out into the bar, shotgun in hand, right past Amber outside to view the commotion. Amber followed hoping to speak to Ellen after the fight was settled, however, that train of thought was quickly derailed once she stepped outside to see one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen being held back as another man took a baseball bat to the hood of his car. He pulled against the big dark haired man gripping him against his chest, practically growling at the man beating his car, with a second look Amber could tell it was a guy referred to as Peterson who was known as an angry drunk and a shit hunter at that.

"STEP THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY CAR, DICKBAG" screamed the handsome man in the deep blue flannel.

Ellen cocked the shotgun and nothing more had to be said. Peterson threw the baseball bat at the side of the car and let it fall down at the men's feet and strutted off down the road.

"You two were here two minutes and I have already had to break out the weapons" smirked Ellen as she walked over to the men. Amber realized she was staring so she started to make her way back inside when she found herself making accidental eye contact with the taller man.

"Amber? Amber Clark?" he said taking a few steps toward her. _Do I know this guy? He is good looking that is for sure, not that I have a ton of luck with men. Did he go to Emory? Did he hunt with Grandaddy? More importantly who is that hot guy he is with…_

"I'm sorry…do I know you?" His face faltered and he looked hurt for a few seconds. _There. That look. The sad pouty lip, the big brown puppy dog eyes, floppy hair. I DO know this kid._

"Sam?" I guessed not believing that it was him. His grin grew as he rushed forward and hugged me. It was close to 17 years ago when Amber first met Sam Winchester. He was a cute little pudgy 6 year old and she had just turned 13. She had been training with her grandfather to hunt since her 8th birthday as per tradition and the 13th year was a big deal. You spent the whole year traveling, hunting, and gaining experience. However, vampires were a different story. They were, and are, the Clark specialty and coming from the south where there were slews of them they were good at getting rid of them. For Amber's trip, Grandfather didn't want her to deal with any vampires until she was older so they traveled towards Indiana where they ran into the Winchesters. Grandfather ended up helping their father track a pack of vamps that was terrorizing the state. Amber naturally spent most of her time with the youngest Winchester. She made him food, played outside with him, and helped him write his essays for school. The older brother, Dean was always mysterious to her. He was practically two years older than her but never said much to her and always found something else to do when she was over at their hotel room. Sam, on the contrary, might as well have been her best friend. Even after John and Amber's grandfather stopped hunting together after an entire year, they kept in touch. She and her grandfather ran into the Winchesters again 5 years later, and it was like she had never left. Dean and John left to go do a hunt while Amber and her grandfather watched Sam. At the end of their visit, she gave him her email so they could better keep in touch when she started college that August. He emailed her on and off throughout the years and they ended up exchanging phone numbers and having many long conversations where she talked him through his first crush, comforted him after fights with his dad, and sometimes she would even help him with a math problem via Skype. She eventually got an email about his decision to go to Stanford around age 17 and how he was slowly scraping together scholarships and other funds to pay for it. Amber had even snuck to his graduation and supplied the last $3200 he needed via anonymous scholarship. Now, six years later with no contact and he was gripping her tightly and lifting her into the air. He plopped her back on the ground but wove his arm around her side as he pushed her inside.

"Let me buy you a drink so we can catch up!" he bellowed.

They talked for what seemed hours. Sam had done great at Stanford in pre-law but left when his girlfriend_-what was her name…Jess?_ Had passed away. He had since been hunting with Dean. _Dean, the absolutely breathtaking masterpiece pouting over his Impala outside trying to fix what he could_. She tried to remain focused on Sam but her mind kept wondering back to the man outside.

"I heard you went to Emory" he grinned.

"Yes, Predictive Health and Ancient peoples and mythology" I groaned. "Both are very helpful to hunting though…but we've been talking for about an hour now and I still don't know why Peterson was assaulting your car."

Sam lost his smile and grimaced as he rubbed his hand over his face "Well…it seems that Dean may have slept with his girlfriend …and stole his case all in the same day." I didn't have time to process my reaction before the doors to the roadhouse slammed open and bowed legs carried themselves to the open barstool next to her. Dean grabbed the beer already being set out for him and took a long pull ignoring his brother and Amberlyn.

_How dare that asshole beat my baby._ He had just waxed her a week ago too. It had been over a year ago that he had slept with the small little blonde that he hadn't known was Peterson's girl. However, he had known it was his case about the angry soul in the abandoned Louisiana button factory killing nosey trespassers and he had taken that without thinking twice. Now, 18 months later Peterson had seen Sam and Dean pull into the roadhouse parking lot and didn't even hesitate as he grabbed a bat and started swinging. Dean started to relax again as he felt the beer blurring his nerves and just now became semi aware of the people around him. Skipping over Sammy he focused on the chick next to him. _She's cute and got some curves. Why does she look familiar?_

"Dean? You fix the hood?" Dean's eyes snapped away from Amber and focused on Sam.

"I got most of the dents out but some of the paint is chipped" he said teeth clenched. Just then a smaller voice piped up and said

"There is no reason for me to have this but I have some paint that may match your Impala." Now Dean was truly interested.

"Dean, do you remember Amber? She basically raised me age 6-7…Her grandfather taught Dad about vamps, Jameson Clark." Memories flooded his head faster than he could handle. It couldn't be her, not really. He wasn't ever supposed to see her again. He looked back at her face. The freckles still dusted her nose and cheeks. Her eyes still looked like they couldn't make up their mind about what color they wanted to be. A mix of green, brown, and every now and then a dark blue. Lastly, he paused before he looked her in the eyes and grabbed her hand, pulling it towards him and turning it over to look at the skin near the inside of her elbow. There it was, not bleeding this time but a faint scar in the shape of an X. He didn't know what to say or do so he immediately turned and walked out both hands grabbing his head in frustration.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm-I'm so sorry I don't know what that was about" stuttered Sam. His brother normally so good with women had looked Amber over head to toe, grabbed her arm, and then practically ran out of the bar with what looked like wet eyes.

"I know what it's about, do you mind if I go talk to him alone? I'll explain later."

Her mind was whirling. As soon as he saw her scar and she saw the look on his face she realized that it was him. It wasn't completely honest of her to say she had not hunted since she started school. One time her sophomore year some students were being harassed in the woods by something so she had decided to bring back some of her hunting knowledge temporarily to get rid of the pest. It ended up being a Shōjō not that Amber would have ever known if it hadn't been for the guy that saved her, well now she knew him as Dean. Shōjō's were Japanese monsters that can only be seen when one is drunk. Amber had suspected a run of the mill salt and burn but ended up being tossed in a hole with other students waiting to be killed by some invisible force. This is where Dean came in. Staggering drunk with a slurring red head on his arm he almost fell into the hole with Amber in the others. She shouted instructions up at him and tossed her supplies up. He quickly found out that rock salt wasn't going to do the trick and despite his inebriated state he remembered a samurai sword in the trunk of the impala that Sam had insisted they keep. He used the sword to stab the spirit once in the head and she disappeared. They cleared out the civilians, including the red head claiming it had been some sort of prank and Amber was helping Dean pack up his car when the Shōjō reappeared, whispered something to Dean as she cut the X into Amber's arm with her long jagged claws. He stabbed her again, this time in the heart, ridding the world of the angry spirit for good. She had not recognized Dean at the time, and he hadn't recognized her either and gave her a fake name. Now 2 years later she wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Back then she had thanked him quickly and left him to sleep off his drinks in his car, bandaging her arm and moving on in life. Now it was apparent that whatever the Shōjō said had affected Dean.

"Hey" she began cautiously "um… are you okay?" She had found him sitting on the hood of the impala with his head in his hands. When he heard her voice, his neck snapped up but still he didn't say anything. She rattled a small pail of black car enamel paint.

"I grabbed this from my car on the way over here…I can touch up the spots you mentioned if you would like?" He swallowed and nodded shuffling down off the hood and slowly walking to the other side of the car.

"Bastard chipped it off right on the driver's door" he murmured pointing to a small jagged oval where paint was missing. She lowered herself to her knees and popped the lid off the pail.

"This is super high gloss and looks to be the same shade of black so it should do the trick, at least for a temporary fix." She murmured quietly as she poured some of the paint into a small airbrush tool she had and began her repairs. The chip was small and she was done quickly. It wasn't perfect but it matched and it looked better. She smiled and took a step back.

"It's a little better now at least" she smiled looking up at Dean. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't frowning either. He looked like he was thinking hard. He sighed deeply before turning to look at Amber.

"I'm sorry I let you leave."

"…What?"

"I'm sorry I let you leave without making sure you were okay."

"It wasn't a big deal. Look, it's all healed up. Besides you were a little out of sorts" she finished with a snort, but Dean stuck with his serious grimace.

"It's not that…I just should have made sure you were okay"

"Well…I'm okay. Your brother is worried about you though." Dean smiled at the mention of Sam "Sammy, what a little nerd. Speaking of nerds who just had a car airbrush kit lying around?"

"Someone who is constantly chipping her car's paint and doesn't want to pay to have it fixed"

"Your car is the same color as mine?"

"Close to the same year too" now it was Amber's turn to grin. She loved her '68 Mustang. It was her grandfather's and every now and then she felt like she could smell his pipe coming off the leather seats. It was nowhere near Dean's love for the impala but she did love her car.

"I've got to see it" Dean smirked after witnessing Amber's adoring eyes when describing it. She walked him a couple of cars over and there it sat. Her grandfather had given it to her when she had turned 16 but she never really had it until he passed. It had come with all of his hunting supplies tucked into a secret compartment in the back seat that only opened when you tried to lay the seat back. She glanced at Dean looking it over in awe. She swelled with sweet memories of her grandfather and his love for the car.

"It's bitchin'" he said finally. She let out a giggle which turned into her trademark squeak of a laugh which snagged a stare from Dean.

"I'm sorry I just wasn't expecting that-but yes it is bitchin'." She smiled and stored her paint and airbrush kit back in the trunk. "We should probably go back inside." Dean nodded.

"Can we not tell Sammy about the hunt in Atlanta?"

"You don't want him to know you take your prospects to the woods while drunk? Your secrets safe with me, Casa Nova"

"Well, that was a detour. I was actually looking for our Dad, but there are parts to that story he doesn't know and I'm not ready to fill him in- even with Dad gone." She paused and then nodded.

"I understand. Lips are sealed." She tossed him a small smile as she shoved her hands in her pockets and walked back towards the door.

Dean hesitated to follow. He felt bad for lying but if she knew that the reason he didn't want to tell Sammy about the Shōjō was because of Amber and the X it would obviously spark concern. The monster's chilling words still echoed in his ears some nights.

"X ga supotto o māku shimasu." With some memory recall and some frustrating translating involving trial and error with spelling he finally came to find out that the spirit had whispered_ "_X marks the spot" which was infuriatingly cryptic for Dean.

He wasn't sure what it meant. He was pretty sure it was just a tricky spirit playing games. _Doesn't even know English, probably got lost in translation. _She was definitely cute and had held a spot at the back of his mind for years, but Dean doesn't love girls. He loves sleeping with them, flirting with them, sometimes even just being friends with them, but he doesn't love them. He finally followed her through the doors to inquire about their room for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

The roadhouse was slam packed for the night so Amber had offered Dean and Sam the last room as she could afford to get a motel room down the road. She was out the door and almost to her car, head full of tips provided by Ellen and a couple of older retired hunters, when she was slammed to the ground. Her 10 years of training allowed her to pop up and immediately swing a punch towards the attacker. She heard him grunt as her small fist connected with this jaw. However, her hit didn't faze him as he grabbed her arms and shoved her against the side of a truck. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the obscenities he whispered against her neck. _I'm in control of the situation. _With that she swiftly brought her knee up into his crotch and when he freed her arms to bend over in pain she brought her elbow swiftly down into the crook of his neck. He crumbled to the ground and she sprinted towards the door but didn't make it as she felt something hard and cold slam into the back of her head.

She woke up on a bed. She sat up so quickly that she hit her head; once again, on the bottom of the bed bunked above the one she was one. Soothing hands gently lowered her back down into a laying positon.

"Calm down, you're okay" the voice was deep and comforting like warm coffee and a blanket on a winter morning.

"What happened?" she slurred. She tried to sit up again but the hands shifted to keep her where she was.

"Some drunk douchebag hit you after you wrecked his friend" the same voice said again. At this point Amber realized that her eyes were closed. She opened them slowly and immediately groaned at the pain the bright lights brought. A figure shifted in order to cast a shadow over her eyes. She blinked and turned so she was on her side and lifted her head to see whose voice wrapped around her mind gently reassuring her. Her vision slowly blurred in and out but finally it focused enough for her to realize it was Dean, who was in a tight white undershirt and threadbare sweatpants with a pained look on his face. She groaned again but for an entirely different reason.

"That other guy took you by surprise or else you could have handled him too" voiced someone else. She recognized it as Sam and decided it was time to get up. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and was on her feet before Dean could stop her.

"I really think you should lay down, Amber" voiced Dean with his sexy baritone. She really thought he shouldn't say her name. It did things to her that she would prefer to ignore.

"I'm fine. The sooner I can get to my motel room and call it a night the better."

"If you think we are letting you go stay in a hotel by yourself you are legitimately insane" gasped Sam. Rubbing her forehead she reached down and grabbed her bag someone had placed by the bed,

"I don't need a man to protect me, Sam. You know this. I can take care of myself. I've been doing it my entire life."

"That's not what I'm saying. Just stay here tonight you can have my bed."

"No."

"Listen either you are staying here tonight or I'm going with you to your hotel" growled Dean. She swiveled her head too look at the man who had been quiet the past several minutes.

"What makes you think that I have to pick one of those?" she growled right back. He grinned which pissed Amber off in such a way that she wasn't sure what she would do.

"Now the spunk comes out, you don't have to pick but just know that one of those two is going to happen." She was, probably for the first time in her life, speechless. She frowned deeply before slamming the door to their room open and walking downstairs. She plopped herself in a booth and propped her feet up. Not five minutes later a satisfied looking Dean came downstairs and sat in the bench across from her. Her sluggish observations finally caught up to the fact that she was wearing an extra layer over her thin white button up. She looked down to see his flannel that Dean had been wearing earlier. Her irritation at him melted away and she looked up just in time to see a slight blush race across his cheeks.

"It was cold in the room and one of your buttons broke…so-"

"Thanks" she cut him off with a smile. "I really am okay to go to the motel though." He frowned and leaned forward over the table,

"I know you can handle yourself" he said with a serious look on his face. "I just…um…well, we both know Sammy is obsessed with you and if anything happened he would never shut up about it." Amber smiled fondly at memories of little Sammy hugging her and playing Cowboys and Indians.

"He is not obsessed with me, we just are close."

"It was you…wasn't it?" She scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion at his question.

"Was _what_ me?"

"Sammy always said that no matter the circumstance you always told him that anything was possible if it was meant to be. That God had a plan for his life and that if something was supposed to happen it would work out. He got into Stanford and worked out all the money he needed but he ended up losing one of his grants and was short $3200. Dad refused to help, not that he could anyways, and I could have hustled pool for months and not come up with that much. He had given up when an anonymous donor awarded him a scholarship for the exact amount he needed on graduation day. Tell me that wasn't you." Amber looked down at her hands, smiled, and looked back up.

"Wasn't me" she whispered. Dean smirked knowingly.

"So, you gonna stay down here tonight?"

"Yeah, figured Ellen wouldn't mind if I slept in one of the booths."

"I was totally kidding. No way can you sleep on these lumpy ass things." Dean swiftly stood up from his position and bent over and lifted her up, swinging her over his shoulder, before she could protest. She immediately began to squirm.

"Dean, there isn't anywhere for me to sleep upstairs! I'll be fine down here." He didn't answer but she could feel his chuckle. He held her close as he climbed the stairs.

"At least put me down" she pleaded.

"If I put you down there is no tellin' where you will run to, and I promised Sammy that I wouldn't let you run off." She finally relaxed with defeat as they reached the boy's room. Sam had pushed one of the beds to the far corner and had hung up a sheet separating it from the rest of the room.

"If you aren't comfortable being in the same room as us, we will leave. I wanted to see if Ellen could arrange something but everyone is asleep" Sam blurted out at her quickly. As an afterthought, he added "Dean, put her down. Good grief, its apparent Dad raised you." Dean gently lowered her to the floor and she blushed deeply pulling the hem of her shirt back down from where it had risen.

"You boys don't make me uncomfortable, but I refuse to take one of your beds." With that she snagged a pillow and a blanket and quickly lay on the floor and kept very still. Eventually Sam and Dean gave up trying to convince her to get into the bed and she heard Dean land on the unoccupied bed with a gentle thud. The light went out and sleep enveloped her.

Touch. It had been so long since someone touched her. She was starved for a hand to hold hers, for a hug. It didn't have to be intimate or sexual. She just wanted someone to hold her, and finally there it was, a body caressing hers, comforting and warm. She blinked her eyes open. She was being lifted. She almost panicked, her training kicking in and telling her she was being kidnapped, when she remembered where she was. She was carefully placed on a soft, billowy surface and the other body left hers and cold absence took its place. Then she felt sheets being pulled over her and fuzzy blankets. Her eyes finally adjusted to the dark as she watched Dean lay back down on the ground with a quiet groan. She closed her eyes again, trying to cope with her loneliness and the fact that she was quickly falling for a man that has never been and never will be interested in her for anything other than a sister figure. She was just someone else for him to take care of and mentor.

She had always been an early riser, naturally without an alarm she normally woke up around 7am, but when she could she liked to wake up at 5 with the dawn and chase the day until it was over. This morning, however, knowing how Sam and Dean felt about sleep she let herself sleep until 6. Once awake she laid still breathing in the warm, stuffy air and watching the dust dance in the morning rays from the window. She heard shuffling coming from the ground to her right and looked over to see Dean contorted into what looked to be a very uncomfortable position. She stretched, trying to hold in her whine and then hopped out of her bed and tiptoed over to Dean. She gingerly grabbed the arm not pinned under his body and pulled him to a sitting positon. His mouth immediately formed a goofy little frown but she continued and got him to his feet. He leaned on her heavily but she somehow got him to the bed where he immediately sank into its warmth and curled up. She smiled. _God, how can a man who is sex personified be so adorable?_ She went over and kissed Sam's forehead and pulled the covers he had kicked to the ground back up around his shoulders. With that she grabbed her bag and quietly left, leaving a note, and Dean's folded flannel, on the foot of Sam's bed.

_Sam, _

_ Thank you and Dean for letting me stay tonight. You are like my little brother and Dean is so lucky to have you. I never thought I would see you again and I am so proud of all you have accomplished. I got some tips about some activity from Ellen. Hope to see you again._

_Amber_


	4. Chapter 4

He was woken with gentle sniffling. _Sammy, shut the hell up it can't be past 8am. _Dean thought cursing the sunlight piercing his eyelids. He at this point realized he was in a bed and then he remembered Amber. _ She's so pretty. Why's she gotta be so pretty? And she's funny. Wait, how did I get in this bed?_ He finally opened his eyes just in time to see someone walk out of the room and a quick glance at the fluffy hair and giant body spread eagle on the other bed told him it was Sam and that Amber must have been the one to leave. Without a second thought, he sprang out of bed and through the door attempting to catch up to her. He caught her in the parking lot cranking her Mustang with already alert eyes.

"WAIT" he hollered jumping in front of the car. She yelped in surprise grasping at her chest,

"What on earth Dean?"

"What makes you think you are leaving without us?" About this time, Sam shuffled out into the cool Nebraskan morning air in his boxers and thin t-shirt and with sleep swollen eyes and hair stuck into strange positions he leaned into her car through the window and un-cranked it and slowly walked back inside with keys in hand. Amber looked at Dean's smirk and slowly followed the two back inside with the silent understanding that she was stuck for a few more hours. Sam fell back into his bed and Amber went to sit on the floor when Dean patted the bed beside him where he sat digging through his duffel. She slowly sank into the unoccupied space next to him and after a few minutes laid back so her feet were still touching the floor but her upper body was lying down. Dean apparently found what he was looking for, got up, and came back a few minutes later changed out of his sweatpants and shirt and into jeans, a t-shirt, and another plaid button up layered over it. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest just trying to rest until Sam would be up in about an hour. She heard Dean shuffle some paper before sitting on the bed and leaning back into a position like hers except she could feel his eyes boring holes into her. She opened her eyes slowly and had to bite her tongue at what she saw. He was propped up on his elbow, just looking at her with eyes that were blatantly green but also managed to hold gold flecks. He looked like he hadn't shaved in a while and his scruff was quickly approaching a modest beard. Amber wasn't complaining.

"Wanna go see if we can find some breakfast?" She decided she didn't trust herself to say anything so settled on a nod and followed Dean through the door and down the stairs where she could smell the evidence of someone else wanting breakfast. With some of Dean's charm they convinced Ellen to make them some pancakes too. Amber was on her third and Dean was finishing his sixth when he cleared his throat and looked at her expectantly. She glanced up and saw that he was waiting for her full attention. She straightened up and put her fork down and cocked her head.

"When you left, Sam cried every night for a month. Wouldn't stop for nothin'. He was just a 7 year old boy who finally found something like a mother and she left." She started to defend herself when she noticed that Dean's eyes were wet. "It got real bad after that. It started with trying to soothe him back to sleep and eventually Dad got fed up and turned to screaming. Screaming turned to…uh it just got real bad." He shook his head and looked out the window.

She didn't cry very often but she felt the stinging of potential tear which was enough vulnerability for the day if she had anything to say about it. She gathered her emotions quickly and cleared her throat.

"I'm real sorry-"

"That's why I need you to stick with us. Sam…he needs you. He may be grown up but he never stopped needing you. " Dean interrupted. It was pretty clear he was done with the emotional part of the morning so she let out a soft whisper of a reply,

"Okay." Dean smiled and hopped up bounding up the stairs he called out to her that he would be back down with Sam. If she was going to stay with the Winchesters she had some prep work to do. _I should go store Grandaddy's car in that old storage shed…It couldn't be but 30 minutes from here right?_ She hollered at Ellen to tell the boys she would be back in an hour and she ran out to her car and sped out of the parking lot before she could be stopped.

_I gave her that whole spiel and she still fucking left. _Dean's thoughts were less than positive as he watched Sam sit near the door looking out the window. The truth of the matter was that Amber was the closest thing to a loving parent figure that Sam had ever had. Dad had been…well Dad. Even though she only spent a year with him, she had left a lasting impact and kept in contact, which was more than most people did. It had been almost three hours and he knew she wasn't coming back, he honestly couldn't blame her. He would have done the same thing. Commitment is scary to a hunter and Amber had lived a rough life. From birth Amber was destined to be a hunter, a good one too. The Clarks were renowned in the supernatural world as professional badasses. However, her dad happened to be the bad apple and had abused Amber and her mother for years until he ran off with her mother when Amber was 7 and the next day her mom was found dead in some woods about 30 miles away. From then on Amber and her two siblings were raised by her grandfather, Jameson Clark, who had looked for his son until the day he was found dead, suspected to have been killed by some werewolves. In the Clark family training starts at age 8 so Amber started her life in the hunting world the very next year as well as practically raising her youngest brother who was 2 and trying to keep her older sister to stick around who was 14. She immediately became very talented and had helped kill a shape shifter by age 9. Her older sister, Millie, also trained but never really got the hang of it and left the day after her 18th birthday. Amber continued to raise her younger brother, Thompson, while traveling all over the states with Jameson. Tom, his nickname, spent a lot of time back in Georgia with their Grandmother so he wasn't with Amber the year she spent with the Winchesters but Dean knew something must have happened to him due to his lack of presence and the fact that she had not spoken of him to Sam. She had put herself through school because she "wanted to make a difference" according to Sam and then a week before she graduated, Jameson was brutally murdered by what looked to be a newborn nest of vamps, what he killed best. Dean had sort of lied when he told Amber he was in Atlanta looking for their Dad. He had been looking for her and was on the brink of giving up when he decided to go to a bar and get drunk. Of course, when Dean Winchester gets drunk he almost always meets a lady. _It figures after all those years, I finally g0t a chance at a second impression and it's drunk-in the woods-with a trashy girl. _It wasn't that Dean was "in love" with her. He just found her interesting, a hunter, _a damn good one_, pretty but not superficially. She was about 5'5" with shoulder length brown hair but sometimes if you looked at it right in the sun it would turn this copper-red color. She had these amazing hazel eyes with what Dean referred to as freckles in the iris but the medical term was Ocular Nevi. Dean knew that because he googled it one day when he was thinking about her. Dean would overhear her on the phone with Sam some days calling herself fat and Sam would always say back "you are not fat, Amber" but Dean didn't think that was enough. He wanted to yell at her that she was beautiful and curvy and he wanted to hold her until she got sick of him, but that was creepy right? He barely spoke to her the year she spent with them. She was Sam's friend. She had the smallest hands. His were close to 3 times the size of them, yet they seemed perfectly proportionate. He was knocked out of his rambling thoughts by Sam's cheering.

"Hey! Dean, that's her right?" A short figure in a white top was walking towards the roadhouse about a mile out. Without thinking he ran out the door to her.

"Where the hell were you?" He yelled when he got close to her. She lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the sun while looking at him and Sam who was catching up. She waited until she got closer to answer.

"I figured if I was joining you two on the road I needed to take care of some things. It just took me longer than anticipated" she told them with a matter of fact look on her face.

Dean was exasperated by this girl but he still couldn't chase away the smile that fell on his face as Sam trotted the last few steps up to her and scooped her up into a huge hug.

"I thought you left" he said into her hair. She shrugged him off and smiled up at the big man,

"Not this time, kiddo."

"Um…where is your car?" asked Dean. She smiled and said,

"That's what I took care of! It's with a friend for safe keeping. Do y'all have room in the Impala for these?" With that she pulled the duffel off her shoulder to reveal all sorts of weapons and books and a few pieces of clothing. Before long the Impala was all packed up and they were on their way.

**Thank you for reading! This is my first time writing anything like this but I'm having fun with it. Don't worry, there are plenty of more chapters on the way. Please leave a review! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

It was about 3 am when they rolled into the motel parking lot in Minnesota. Sam had long been asleep but Amber had stayed up to help Dean stay alert. She helped Sam up and into the room Dean had rented and then went back outside to help with the luggage after settling Sam in a bed. Once they got back in Dean was struck with the sight of two full beds. He groaned.

"They told me it was three twins"

"It's fine, I'll take the floor"

"I got the floor, you take the bed" but Amber was already making a pallet on the floor and curling up by the time he finished his protest. He normally would argue more but he had quickly come to discover that the girl was as stubborn as a mule and determined not to be treated differently because she was a female. Dean decided he would wait until she was asleep and move her again.

He ended up only having to wait about 45 minutes until her breathing regulated and her arms went lax. He carefully picked her up, admiring the way her eyelashes lay flush against her rosy cheeks, and then laid her down between the sheets. He put one knee on the bed to adjust a pillow that was preventing her arm from lying comfortably when she reached up and grabbed his hand. She didn't say anything and instead shuffled over leaving a space, keeping a hold on his hand. He felt his mind fly into overdrive. Sam would freak out in the morning, but at the same time he knew this didn't mean anything. She was just trying to compromise with him so they both could be comfortable. She tugged on his hand and he gently lowered the rest of his body onto the bed and she finally released his hand. She rolled to the other side, facing Sam, so Dean rolled so he faced the window. Sleep took over his conscience before he could over analyze the situation.

Amber awoke to warmth. It was cheesy but she had woken up cold so many times that she was excited for the change of pace, until she realized what it meant. She felt a body pressed against hers and realized that her head was resting on a rising and falling object. Her eyes flew open to reveal that her head was resting on Dean's chest and his arms where wrapped around her. _Thank you, subconscious. _She looked over in relief to find that Sam was still sleeping and made the decision that she had to get up somehow. She slowly started to wiggle out of his arms which just caused him to wrap her up tighter and shift them on their sides so he was spooning her. He sighed and nuzzled his chin in her neck. She couldn't help but blush as he pulled her closer to him but then hearing Sam shuffle on the bed next to him she cut her losses and quickly pulled away from Dean and strode to the bathroom before Dean realized what happened.

She exited the bathroom after her shower in a robe to find Dean and Sam awake and sitting on a made up beds quietly watching TV.

"Imma take a quick shower, can we go get breakfast afterwards?" asked Sam as he walked towards the bathroom. Dean nodded and changed the channel as Amber shuffled through her bag and selected a black and white striped quarter length sleeve t-shirt, dark skinny jeans, her boots, and laid out her army green jacket in case it was cold. She jumped in front of Sam to get into the bathroom to change, grinning at Sam and saying she would just be a minute. When she came back out, Dean was gone and so was her bag. She slipped on her jacket and stepped outside after Sam mentioned that Dean was packing the car before he shut the bathroom door to shower. She was glad she packed the jacket with the few other pieces of clothing she brought as she watched her breath materialize in the cool air. Dean was sitting on the hood of his car looking at a map as Amber walked up next to him leaning on the side of the Impala. He looked up and smiled at her. _He is so gorgeous. I love a man in plaid and some scruff-geez-calm yourself, Amber. _

"You know, you should just let me sleep on the floor. When I say I don't mind, I mean it."

"I wasn't raised to let a lady sleep on the floor" he answered shuffling over so she could join him on the hood, folding the map up and shoving it in his jacket pocket. "Don't dent my baby." She giggled,

"are you calling me fat Mr. Winchester?" His grin flat lined into a serious face

"No! No, sorry I'm just protective of my car." She smiled and adjusted herself so she was comfortable

"I'm just picking on you Dean, I know I could stand to lose some weight." He frowned and turned so he was facing her.

"I think you are beautiful" he mumbled. Amber felt like her ears were on fire as her blush crept up her face. She fumbled with her fingers as she let a quiet

"Thank you" out. Things were silent for a few seconds and then he spoke again

"I guess that's why I was spooning you this morning" which didn't help her flaming blush that was causing her cheeks to turn a cherry red. Suddenly, she was laughing hysterically. He chuckled and scratched the scruff on his face. Whenever Amber got to laughing really hard it turns into a squeaky wheeze, which in turn made Dean start laughing. "That is seriously the cutest laugh I have ever heard" he let out in between gasping for breath from his laughter. She finally calmed down and leaned back on the hood lifting her head towards the sun.

"Where were you that year I spent with y'all? I don't remember you being around…"

"I was there, just dealing with some stuff, ya know…15, high school, killing ghosts on the weekends. It was a confusing time and it wasn't any easier having a pretty girl around all the time, especially when she was mostly just interested in your kid brother. "

"I thought you found me annoying. You were so mysterious"

"Not so much mysterious as didn't want to be bothered"

"Well…I wish I had gotten to know you back then. I think I like you"

Dean was just about to confess some things he had been holing up when Sam emerged, with towel dried hair and bag in hand ready to hit the road. Amber slid off the hood and was immediately swept up in a damp hug from Sam.

"Thank you for staying with us."

"I couldn't think of anywhere else I would rather be" she replied scuffing up his hair and sliding into the back seat of the impala.

**(This story has been changed a bit FYI)**

They rode the hour to their hunt in Hibbing, Minnesota where people have been mysteriously disappearing. One of the latest to go missing was a man named Alvin Jenkins, they figured they would start at the bar where he was last seen. While Dean and Sam chatted up the flirty bartender with the low cut blouse, Amber slipped out the back door to look in the alley way where the article said Alvin's friends had last seen him. She looked around and noticed a beat up old truck parked at the end of the alley. She carefully made her way down towards it thinking she may find a sleeping—or dead Alvin in the back but instead just found a muddy tarp and some rags. She went to turn back towards the bar when her world went black.


	6. Chapter 6

She woke up in a dark room. She was sore and her head hurt. _Why does this keep happening to me?_ She tried to stand but quickly came to find that she was in a small cage, meant for a large dog-not a human. Feeling panic and the chill of the room course through her veins she squinted in the dark to her right and left and could see nothing. She shoved her numb fingers into her pockets and came to find that her phone had been taken. After about 10 minutes of rattling the lock on her cage and attempting to pick it with a bobby pin she gave up and slumped back into her corner praying that Dean and Sam were as good hunters as they led her to believe.

"Did she go to the bathroom?" Dean was on his third lap around the building, practically screaming Amber's name.

"She walked out that door, Sam. I watched her." He finally stopped his frantic pacing along the front of the building and went back into the alley that Amber had last been seen in.

"Maybe she caught on to something and went to go check it out. Did we get a text or voicemail?" Both boys checked their phones and found nothing. Dean slid down the wall he had been leaning on and rested his head in his hands looking at the ground.

"Hey, what color is Amber's jacket?"

"uh.. dark green" Sam answered. Dean quickly stood and showed Sam what he had picked off the ground: several green threads. Sam quickly found more along with what looked like small splatters of blood. He swallowed and looked at Dean "…like she was dragged." After following the remnants of thread, they soon found her phone.

"We are gonna find her, Sam."

After some observing when the man in the ski mask and camouflage jacket came in, dropped a roll and left without a word, Amber believed she had figured out how to unlock her cage. She had also discovered, thanks to the sunlight that flooded her prison when the man came, that there were three other empty cages like hers and that they were being kept in a very small barn or shed. There was a switch on the wall that unlocked her door and then she had approximately 6 seconds to make it out of the barn door before it slammed shut and bolted. She had been waiting for her energy to pick back up and was attempting to figure out the man's schedule so she could avoid him and give herself plenty of time to run. Her opportunity was quickly approaching and she was preparing herself for action.

With some more interviewing and sweet talking an intern at the police station, Dean got enough information to find himself walking with Sam down a dirt path where a van was seen a couple of weeks prior. _6 hours and 14 minutes. She's fine, she's strong, I'm gonna get her back._

"Dean…I just got her back-what if…"

"Don't go there, Sammy." They both continued to trudge down the path for about 3 miles until they came to a small log cabin. Dean walked around the side while Sam went up on the porch and knocked on the front door. Dean had circled the entire house and made it back to the front before anyone came to the door. They were about to walk on further down the path, when the door slowly opened to reveal a small girl in a ratty, dirty dress with tangled braids framing her face.

Sam looked anxiously at Dean before bending down to the child's level.

"Hi, my name is Sam and we are looking for our friend…um, are your parents around?" The girl didn't respond but slowly looked up at Dean and smiled. _What a creepy little child. Do her parents not bathe her? Look at those yellow teeth…like a freaking gopher._ He was opening his mouth to say something to the girl when she started giggling and something hard connected with the back of his head as he fell to the floor. "Dean!" was the last thing he heard as his vision blurred.

She was on her third pebble off that she had picked up off the shed floor, throwing at the lever trying to open her cage door when a loud clanking gave way to immense light flooding the room. She scrambled to the far corner of her cage and pretended to be asleep. Her cage door clanked open and she heard grunts and dirt flew at her as bodies fell nearby.

"Just leave 'em in that one. We need to keep the other two open for more prey, plus that little thangs been sleepin' since we tossed her in there," drawled one of the voices. They talked some more but the voices were fading and soon the bright light behind her eyelids slipped back to black and she figured they were gone. Her eyes flew open as she felt her way around until her eyes adjusted. She finally touched something right as her night vision returned and she recognized the signature Winchester flannel as she strained to see it was Sam's ankle she was gripping.

"SAM" she whispered. As soon as he recognized her voice he shot up, obviously pretending to have been passed out, and grabbed her arms and strained to look her up and down.

"Are you okay? Where did you go? Did they hurt you? How many of them are there? I was so worried about you" he blurted all at once; she nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck in the tight space. "I'm okay they haven't touched me except to put me in here. They somehow knocked me out and brought me here." Just then a moan sounded from behind Sam and the figure gripped Sam's sleeve for leverage as they slowly sat up.

"Is that Amber?" they mumbled groggily while rubbing their temples. She drew in a quick breath as she realized that it was Dean. Crawling over Sam, she hugged Dean long and hard and then sat back to look at him. He had some blood on his shirt collar from where they had whacked him in the head but other than that he looked fine. Dean shrugged her off him and immediately tried to stand, knocking his head into the roof of the cage.

"It's not that big of a cage, man" Sam said as Dean plopped back down murmuring curses under his breath. She used the time to quickly explain how the lever near the door worked but now they had to wait until the men came again so they would have enough time to escape. She told them they had roughly 30 minutes and Sam scooted over to a corner to rest for a few minutes and try to remember what he had been researching earlier on the case. Amber leaned back against her wall and closed her eyes, willing her heart and mind to slow down. That's when she felt a thigh press against hers. She didn't move but opened one of her eyes to see Dean trying to get comfortable next to her all the while frantically looking around the room like a monster was about to jump out and get him.

"Ever heard of personal space, dude?" she chuckled at him. He grunted but casually created a little space between them and then continued speaking.

"Sorry, I'm just paranoid about leaving you now." She opened both of her eyes at his response to see a very concerned and also slightly embarrassed Dean avoiding eye contact with her. She grabbed his hand, and closed the space between them.

"Eh, you couldn't shake me that easily," she whispered back. He seemed to relax next to her and she felt him slide his second hand on top of hers and she let herself slip away from the situation for a few minutes and for a little while she was just a girl holding the hand of a boy that she cared about instead of a hostage in a small cage in a shed that may or may not belong to some kind of supernatural force.


	7. Chapter 7

The door clanked open once again about 15 minutes earlier than Amber had expected and light flooded the room as Dean flinched next to her and covered his eyes. Two rolls were tossed on the dirt in front of her through the small door in the cage and then the door slammed shut before her eyes could ever adjust. She immediately grabbed the rolls and crawled to the far edge of the cage closest to the door and started aiming for the lever. Sam quickly grabbed her hand and kept her from throwing.

"Don't you think we should give them time to walk away" she paused and then nodded, taking a deep breath and willing herself to calm down. After another 5 minutes, she took aim again and with a deep breath she threw the bread out the of the gap in her cage and it bounced off the wall above the lever and she gasped as it bounced down and hit the lever. At first, she wasn't sure it was going to move it and then it slowly pushed downward. The cage door creaked open and she screamed "NOW" as she scrambled out and ran towards the shed door. Once outside, she immediately turned to make sure Sam and Dean made it out, once she saw them behind her she made a beeline for the woods. After about a mile into the brush, she slowed her sprint and lowered herself to the ground to wait for the boys to catch up. She was catching her breath as Sam collapsed next to her and Dean leaned against a tree.

"Think we are safe?" he breathed out with a still wary face. She nodded and stood up, grabbing Sam's hand and pulling him up. She was about to suggest they wait until dark to sneak back into town when she heard hooting and hollering and gunshots through the thicket.

"Hunts on, Ellroy!" shouted a man's voice.

"Whoohoo! I've been waitin' for some action all day long!" Amber heard a loud bang and it was followed by a sharp pain in her left thigh.

"Dean, they shot her!" screamed Sam. It didn't hurt…well at least she didn't think it hurt, but Dean did look funny and she couldn't hear what they were saying as Sam lifted her and started running with Dean behind them. Sam lowered her next to a tree in some thick bushes and she tried to read his lips before he ran off. He had covered her with his jacket and she figured she should try to stay quiet until they returned.

They had been running for about 5 minutes with Sam carrying Amber when Dean figured out the rednecks were hot on their tails and they couldn't fight them off and risk Amber's safety. He shouted instructions for Sam to hide Amber and then he turned, grabbing a firm stick, and ran back towards the shouting coming from the hunters. He clobbered two of them in the head while they were looking up in a tree for their victims. They fell to the ground moaning and holding their skulls while he scooped up their rifles and handed one to Sam who had finally caught up. They hog tied the two men and continued following the voices of the other hunters. A shot to the foot of one of the men shocked the last hunter enough to give Sam enough time to knee him in the gut and bat him to the ground with the butt of his rifle. They tied those two to a tree and rushed back to collect Amber.

Dean lifted the passed out Amber and cradled her heavy head in the crook of his neck as he pulled her limp limbs close to him and trotted after Sam back towards where the Impala was parked. They finally made it back to the shed where they had escaped to see cops lights reflecting off the building, they slinked back into the shadows and continued to the main road. Sam slid in the driver's seat and Dean held Amber in the backseat praying, for the first time in a while, that she would be okay.

They got her back to a small motel room and gently laid her on the bed. Sam cut the jeans off above the wound on her left thigh. Moving silently and from routine, Dean ran to soak a rag while Sam got out the first aid. They both have been shot, bitten, cut, stabbed, and practically torn limb from limb in the past so they had experience in doctoring up wounds. Sam was better at stitching and was waiting for Dean to do what he did better between the two of them, which was to get the bullet out, but he just stood there staring at Amber who was out cold with her increasing blood loss pooling on the comforter. Sam jumped to action and gently removed the bullet, snatching the rag and other utensils from Dean, cleaned the wound and finally bandaged it, deciding that the stitches should wait. He got a clean rag for Amber's sweaty forehead, got rid of the bloody blankets, found another quilt for her in the closet, and finally collapsed on the other bed, exhausted. He tossed his heavy arm over his eyes but peeked out at Dean who had finally moved from his frozen position at the foot of her bed. However, he had only moved far enough to grab a chair and scrape it to her side and was staring intently at her face.

"Keep doing that and you'll wake her up" he mumbled. He saw Dean jump slightly at the first words spoken since they had returned from the hunt, well from being hunted.

"She's okay, right?" he finally answered. At that, Sam completely removed his arm and turned to look at Dean who was rubbing his scruff and staring down at this boots.

"Yeah…she's gonna be good as new" Sam responded, noticing how Dean let out a deep breath and then pulled the covers up more on the sleeping woman. "Want the bed?" Sam asked, knowing his brother was tired by looking at the way his eyes seemed less green and how his shoulders slumped.

"Nah, you take it Sammy." Dean pulled up another chair to prop his feet up in and Sam tossed him a pillow for his back. Without another word, the two brothers fell into silence and eventually sleep.

Her grandfather's training kicked in before she even opened her eyes. She breathed deeply and slowly trying to get a feel for her surroundings before opening her eyes. She smelled stale fabric softener, blood, gunpowder, salt, and leather…the last three things could also be described as what Dean smelled like but she still wasn't positive that they had made it out of the woods they had been hunted in. She had passed out shortly after Sam had put her down. She slowly cracked an eyelid and noticed ripped curtains hanging on dirty windows, and sloppily patched up walls. _A motel._ She let out a deep breath and shifted in between the sheets only to cringe at the ache in her thigh. She reached down and felt bandages. _Oh, right I was shot yesterday. _She slowly sat up and used her arms to lift her body into a sitting position and looked at her tattered jeans and blood soaked shirt crumpled on the floor. _Well that leaves me one pair of shorts and 2 shirts in my wardrobe. Wait, whose shirt am I wearing?_ She glanced down at the STANFORD stamped across her chest to realize it was Sam's and was gracious that he put it on over the thin tank top she had been wearing under her other shirt. She looked at the bed beside hers to see Sam still passed out and snoring peacefully but quickly realized that Dean was nowhere to be seen. She started to swing her legs out and onto the floor to prepare for a painful journey to the bathroom when the she heard the doorknob to the room jiggle and it flew open allowing the cool Minnesota air to whoosh in and create goose bumps on her arms.

"You're awake!" cried Dean slamming some cups and a couple of bags on the small table near the door and rushed to her side. "I freaking knew as soon as I left you would wake up, are you okay? Are you sore?" The smell of coffee interrupted any response she could have provided and she whipped her head back towards the cups that Dean had left on the table. He smiled and retrieved the largest cup for her, placing it in her clammy hands and sitting on the bed next to her. She took a large gulp. _God, gas station coffee has never tasted so wonderful. _

"It hurts but I'm okay." She finally said after downing nearly half the cup. "Thank y'all for patching me up…and rescuing me…and letting me stay with y'all…"

"Eh-its not a big deal. Don't get all appreciative and sappy on me now. I bought some donuts…want one?" She nodded eagerly as Dean cracked open the bags he had brought in with the coffee and handed her a sprinkle covered donut. She was about to devour it when she realized something.

"Why did you give me one with sprinkles?"

"Do you want a different one? I have several different kinds…" He wiggled his jelly filled one in her face.

"No…it's just the ones with sprinkles are my favorites. How did you know?" A blush reddened Dean's cheeks and he got up to go grab his coffee off the table and cleared his throat.

"Just a lucky guess…chicks love sprinkles." She frowned at that. Not many donut places would just have a donut with sprinkles lying out; you have to ask for it specifically. She took a bite out of it and laid it down on a napkin and crossed her arms as she chewed and watched Dean. He tried to busy himself before he re-settled on the chair beside her bed and took a sip of his coffee, avoiding eye contact with her. She refused to say anything as she watched Dean squirm under her scrutiny. "OKAY. I remember Sam talking to you on speakerphone one time when he was upset about something and you told him that it was impossible to be unhappy if you were eating a donut with sprinkles. He immediately went to the closest Krispy Kreme and harassed them until they made him one. Now, he mostly sticks to devil's food but I like my jelly," he let out in a huff. "Also, here's your cell phone we found in that alley" he tossed her cracked Nokia on the bedspread. He got up and walked over to Sam's bed and wacked him in the head with a pillow and said "your patient is gettin' on my nerves, Sammy." She continued munching on her breakfast thoughtfully and patted the bed beside her. Dean reluctantly sank into the mattress next to her and grabbed the remote to click the TV on.

"That was really sweet of you" she mumbled as she finished her donut and took a swig of the last of her coffee. She saw him shrug his shoulders out of the corner of her eye. Sam finally woke up slurring about the smell of coffee and donuts and stumbling over to the table.

***Reviews Please***


	8. Chapter 8

She had finally gotten up, taken a shower, re-bandaged her leg, and was now staring at her clothing options. A pair of shorts, yoga pants, a slightly blood stained tank top, and a ratty t-shirt from Emory. Her jacket had been torn to heck when she had been kidnapped and her other clothing had been used for blood mop-up. She pulled on her t-shirt over her tank top and put on the yoga pants. _At least they are longer than the shorts._ She blow dried her hair with the chipped dryer under the motel's sink, brushed through it and looked in the mirror. _Well, this is as good as it's gonna get. _She thought with dismay. _Guess it's a good thing I'm used to being alone. There's no getting a man with a face like that. _She trudged out of the bathroom and shoved her shorts back into her duffel and went to put on her boots.

"Amber, you're gonna freeze!" gasped Sam immediately reaching for one of his hoodies and handing it to her.

"It's all I have left, didn't have much to pack" Sam nodded and grabbed her bag and walked with her out to the impala where Dean was waiting on them. He looked her head to toe and then looked at Sam who was throwing her duffel in the trunk.

"She's gonna freeze, Sam" he said pointedly.

"That's all she has left that we didn't cut up or soak in blood, Dean." Dean shook his head and went back to the trunk and shifted around for a few minutes.

"I'll be fine! I'm a big girl." She added after Dean refused to emerge from the back of the car. He finally walked back around to where Sam and Amber were waiting and he handed her a long sleeve shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

"We'll stop somewhere and buy you some things but for now put these on so you don't freeze your ass off." She started to object but he grabbed her shoulders and pointed her back to the hotel room. She hobbled back in and quickly changed into what turned out to be Dean's favorite sweatpants. She could tell because they were super broken in and so soft she felt like a blanket was enveloping her legs. The long sleeve shirt was just plain and black but it was soft too. She pulled Sam's striped hoodie back over the tee and finally emerged back into the cool air. Dean and Sam were in the car but she noticed that Sam was in the backseat. _Shit, what do I do? Does he want me to sit up front? Does he want us both in the back? Is Sam just back there right now and wants to go back up front? What if- _She didn't have time to finish her anxious thought process because Dean got out and trotted over to the front passenger door and opened it for her, smiling. She limped over and slid in quickly thankful that he had answered her silent questions.

"Decided that you make for a better navigator than Mr. 'the map scale is inaccurate'", he chuckled nodding back at Sam. Sam rolled his eyes and cracked open a book that he was reading that had been a family friends of theirs, Bobby. She winced at the pain still shooting through her thigh at all her movement but the ache was soothed by the heat blasting through the Impala's vents and the clothes she was wearing that smelled like Dean.

"Where we headin'?" she asked unfolding the atlas that Dean had tossed at her.

"The blue circle" he said while backing out of his parking spot. She frowned at the answer but then noticed that Lebanon, Kansas was circled with blue ink. She glanced up at the Impala's clock and noted that they were leaving around 9am and a drive to Kansas was somewhere around 11 hours. "We are gonna head back to the Batcave for a little while to recoup…if you don't mind?"

"Batcave?" she chucked.

"Yeah it's…well…kind of like our headquarters." They were out of the motel parking lot and out on the main highway headed south.

"If you are okay with me being there then its fine with me" she responded after checking the map to make sure they were headed the right way.

"I honestly didn't even think twice about it." He said loosening his grip on the steering wheel and adjusting so he was comfortable for the long drive ahead. She didn't respond but smiled at his answer. It only took about an hour of Zeppelin playing softly in the background for Sam to pass out. She began to feel her foot fall asleep so she shifted her position only to audibly groan from the throbbing it caused in her thigh. Dean whipped his head to the side to look at her, causing the car to swerve.

"Sorry! I'm fine. I just moved it the wrong way" she breathed after the pain dulled.

She saw him set his jaw and then he reached over and dug through the glove department and retrieved a bottle of pain killers.

"Take one of these, there should be some water bottles down at your feet" she quickly did what he said and went back to studying the map. "Are you okay? You're pretty quiet for someone who went to school. Sam never shuts up...always got something churning in that meaty brain of his." Dean said glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Sorry, I don't want to bug you" she responded.

"Why do you think you bug me?"

"I dunno, you probably see me like a kid sister and you're driving and you've already have to drag me around with you everywhere and take care of me—"

"Goodness there are so many things wrong with what you just said. Where to begin? One, I love to drive and I'm pretty good at it too. Two, we asked you to come with us and so far you've been pretty pleasant. Three, we look out for each other…it's what we do. Lastly, I definitely _do not_ see you as my kid sister."

"Wow. What am I then? A cousin? Pet dog?" she responded, laughing. He shook his head smiling but didn't answer her question.

"So, you have anyone special back in Georgia?"

"No, it was just me and my grandfather after my grandmother died my freshman year and Millie overdosed somewhere in California."

"Shit—I'm sorry. What about Thompson?" He saw her tense up out of the corner of his eye and heard her breathing grow ragged. "You don't have to answer that" he said quickly. The silence was long and he knew he had screwed up by asking.

"He was taken last year. He had just turned 16, gotten his driving license. He was out on one of his first solo hunts when a pack of vamps got him. " Dean could tell by listening to her voice quiver that she was tearing up. "After a week of not being able to find him, grandfather said he was either turned or dead. I don't know which would be worse." Dean didn't have had any words. He had no clue how he would cope if something like that happened to Sammy. "I took a semester off from school to look for him, but I was rusty and Grandfather was getting older…we didn't make any progress. About 2 weeks before Grandfather was killed I got this in the mail...I thought it was a graduation present at first" she lifted a thin chain with a small orb, about the size of a pearl, attached to it. "Then I read the letter. It's supposedly enchanted," she laughed tearfully. "I know it's silly but, Grandfather said he knew a witch and got her to enchant this old marble that Tom used to play with. Basically, if he is ever nearby it's supposed to glow, or get really hot, or sparkle, or something ridiculous—I can't remember." She sniffled and tried to ignore the urge to use Sam's hoodie sleeve as a Kleenex. "I just wear it to remember him by." Dean kept his gaze on the road but cleared his throat and said,

"Uh—look under your seat for a blue shoebox" she hesitated but then bent in half and shifted some empty bottles around and found the dusty navy box. She pulled it out and looked at Dean who swallowed and shifted uncomfortably. "Well go ahead…I know you're curious" he grunted at her. She carefully cracked open the lid to find a collection of very odd objects. On top laid a small Polaroid of a family of four, upon closer inspection she noticed a tiny, chubby Sam and a smallish Dean too. _Their mother was beautiful._ She noticed Dean clench his jaw and tighten his grip on the steering wheel out of the corner of her eye. Under the picture there were several other items. She found a small post-it with a list of herbs and what they were good for as well as a grocery list and the phrase 'get this stuff done, you Idjits', a keychain with a lightning bolt on it with the name 'Kevin' inscribed on it, an Ohio University flag that had a girl named Cassie's address written on the back, an R2-D2 action figure that blinked and beeped loudly when she picked it up, drawing a chuckle from Dean, had a name scribbled on the back- _Charlie, _and finally she picked up a small red toy truck and held it in her hands as she waited for Dean to speak up.

"Well that was Sam's…and it doesn't really have to be in there anymore but I know I won't lose it that way," he said in reference to the toy truck.

"What is this?"

"It's my box… It's how I remember people that…aren't around anymore. What we do isn't easy. People are lost doing this job every day. We don't get paid, we don't get thanked. We just get cut up, thrown around, and chased by the cops," he shook his head and breathed deeply. "My point is, it takes a strong person to do what you do and its okay to be sad and miss people that we've lost." He pulled up to a stop sign after a few moments of silence and looked over at her and paused before reaching and putting his hand over her left one. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…uh…you're awesome. But speak a word of any of this to Sam or show him that box and you'll be in deep trouble, freckles." She smiled and placed the truck back in the box and then shoved it back beneath the seat.

"Okay, I'll keep your secret but in exchange…I want to drive."

"Yeah-no way, sweet cheeks," he answered laughing.

"Come on! I'm a fantastic driver!"

"Absolutely NOT"

*****Not even sure if anyone reads this but if you do...I am SO sorry for the long gap between this chapter and the last one. I have had exams and have not had a spare minute to write. As an apology I will upload a second chapter VERY soon after this one. Like tonight...in a few hours..or sooner. REVIEWS PLEASE******


	9. Chapter 9

Sam awoke to mad giggling and Dean's shouting. He sat up and cracked open his eyelids to see Dean gripping his door handle and resting his other hand on Amber's thigh...who was in the driver's seat? _Dean let her drive? What universe is this?_ The cramp in his neck from curling up in the backseat made it hard to concentrate but he slowly reevaluated Dean's left hand placement. _Why…what?_

"Guys, um…what's going on?" Amber continued laughing wildly as she flew down the interstate and Dean clenched the handle tighter while turning to look at Sam.

"This is it, Sammy. We've fought demons, ghosts, shape shifters, and it's Amber that's gonna do us in." Sam couldn't help but laugh as Dean started shouting instructions at Amber who had apparently decided that she wanted to shift several lanes at once. She was actually a very good driver, he remembered her telling him that she used to drive vehicles for Ford on test tracks to evaluate their durability before they were put on the market, but she _was_ pretty wild. He looked back at the two to see that Dean had calmed down and his hand on her thigh, which had previously been drawn up into a fist, had relaxed and was resting there like it was comforting her.

"Okay take exit 15 and we'll stop for dinner and then we can drive the last hour it takes to get to the bunker with full stomachs" said Dean. It was around 7pm and Sam could feel his stomach aching for food. The exit showed up on their right pretty quickly and Amber took it smoothly. She turned the couple of times where she was instructed and when they finally were on a section of highway that would carry them to their small selection of diners in the next town she lowered one hand off the steering wheel, which Dean started to object to, but then she took his hand and held it. Sam blinked rapidly at the interaction. He looked down at his watch. He had fallen asleep about an hour into the drive and woken up about 45 minutes later to drive some so Dean could nap and then switched off again after 3 ½ hours. He had accidently fallen asleep while reading and woken up after sleeping for about 1 hour and ½ , what had happened during that time to advance them to handholding. _I mean it's pretty obvious that he thinks she is pretty but...Dean hold a girls hand AND let her drive the impala?_ He watched Dean glance back at him from the corner of his eye and shift uncomfortably but he didn't let go of her hand, in fact, if Sam were a betting man he would say it looked like he gripped it tighter. Amber was talking about a professor she had her junior year of college but Sam wasn't really listening. She laughed -either her professor ripped his pants or fell while teaching, something along those lines, Sam failed to get the details because he was concentrating on Dean. He looked at her with awe that Sam hadn't seen …well honestly ever. He remembered Cassie, and a few other of Dean's conquests but he didn't recall him looking at any of them the way he was looking at Amber now. It was almost like he was memorizing what she looked like. She interrupted Sam's observations with an excited shout

"How about 'Randy's Inn and Food'?" She quickly whipped into the parking lot and released Dean's hand to hobble out of her seat, still wincing when she put too much weight on her injured leg. Dean rushed around to her side to grip her waist as he helped her up the stairs to get into the diner attached to the small motel. A rusty Coca-Cola chalkboard instructed them to seat themselves and Dean chose a small booth. Amber sank down on one side and Sam quickly sat next to her so he could continue to observe Dean by sitting opposite him. An elderly lady, "Joyce", came out and took their orders and left them to the silence of the empty diner.

"I think we should take her to that QuickCare about half an hour from the bunker" said Sam as Amber winced a third time since sitting down.

"I'm fine. Honest." She said through clenched teeth. Just then Joyce came back with their drinks. Sam took a sip of his water as he watched Amber down about half of her Diet Coke and then let out a satisfied sigh.

"You know that stuff gives ya cancer."

"Everything gives you cancer these days" she said taking another gulp. Dean, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up and said

"There is a mini mall with a grocery store attached to the QuickCare where we can stock up while you get your leg tended to." Amber started to object but Dean's stern face seemed to change her mind.

"Fine, but you get to figure out how to explain the bullet sized hole in my thigh."

"This QuickCare is a no question type of place. It's so high school students can go get tested and not feel judged, but we also use them for wounds that would be unusual anywhere else," Sam answered. They chatted quietly about a movie that was coming out that Amber wanted to see but Sam thought was stupid until their food came out.

"It was a really good book" she argued.

"Even more of a reason not to see it, they always ruin it when they make it into a movie." She rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the lasagna she ordered. Dean and Sam were already tearing into their hamburgers as she poked at her square piece of pasta. She took a bite and sadly put her fork down.

"Ugh, it's still got frostbite" Dean chuckled at her and grabbed a handful of his fries and plopped them on her plate as well as cutting half of his burger and handing it to her. _He is sharing…his food. Who is this man?_

She munched away at Dean's fries happily. _That's what I get for straying from basic diner food. _Dean's foot bumped into her ankle and he mumbled an apology through his mouthful of food. She looked at him, face full of hamburger and eyes shining as he cracked a joke about Sam's size. _He is so adorable. _She blushed as she thought back to the handholding that had occurred in the car and the deep conversations they had every time Sam fell asleep. He had even told her about when their dad died. Dean was finishing up the last few bites of his food when he grabbed Sam's wrist to look at his watch. He waved Joyce back over and thrust a $20 at her.

"Hurry up, the QuickCare closes in 2 hours." They shoveled the rest of the food down and ran out of the diner leaving the change from the bill as tip. Dean slid in the driver's seat and grunted at Sam when he attempted to sit up front, so he just held the door open for Amber and then got in the back. Once they were buckled and out of the parking lot Dean flew down the bumpy back roads until they reached the bunker a little over an hour before it closed. They walked her in and watched her sign the sign-in sheet and then turned to go to the store next door when Amber grabbed Sam's sleeve.

"Can one of y'all stay with me…please?" Sam smiled, nodded and then plopped down in a chair in the waiting area and patted the seat next to him. Dean left with a grunt after Sam scribbled him a shopping list on the back of an old receipt.


	10. Chapter 10

_Fuckin' hate shopping._ Dean winded down the aisle, begrudgingly pushing a squeaky shopping cart. He had collected almost everything Sam wanted. _Why the hell does he need a pomegranate? _ Then he noticed a small section of clothing and thought back to Amber. He wandered over and looked at the labels, perplexed.

"Need anything?" chimed a really happy female voice behind him. He swiveled with a scowl to look at the young red head and was about to send her away when he thought she might be able to help.

"Um, actually. I need to buy some clothes for a friend…but I have no clue what size." She smiled and looked at the pale blue shirt he was looking at.

"Was she the girl that walked with you into the clinic next door?" He blinked. _How did she know that was who I was talking about?_

"…Yeah"

"Sorry, I don't mean to be creepy. It's a small town and I just happened to be looking out the front door and saw you all. So, from the looks of her I would say she would be a medium but her bust size looked bigger so let's go with a large in shirts so it's not uncomfortable." She led him to another section with a sign hanging above it that said "Ladies". She helped him pick out a couple of pairs of jeans, 3 simple long sleeve t-shirts, a pair of sweat pants, some warm socks, and a short sleeve for when it warmed up. "Does she need anything else?" Dean looked at the racks and his eyes rested on a grey jacket that looked like her old army green one that had gotten ripped up. It had cording around the waist where she could tighten it and pockets, which he remembered her saying were 'necessary in any woman's wardrobe'. He inspected it and saw it was a large and then handed it to the lady. "Alright, let's get you checked out."

He waited out by the car, the groceries already packed in the trunk and Amber hobbled out, leaning on Sam, with her fresh bandages creating a lump around her thigh under her pants.

"They gave her some pain meds, sewed her up, and re bandaged it. They just told us to watch out for infection" Sam said once Amber was seated in the car. Dean nodded and hopped in and peeled out of the parking lot once Sam was buckled.

They arrived at the bunker about 30 minutes later. Amber had passed out since they had given her a dose of the pain meds at the clinic and they caused drowsiness. Dean instructed Sam to unload the impala and put all the bags on the table in the library and that he would take Amber to one of the rooms. He carefully unbuckled her and slid one of his arms under her knees and the other supported her back. He lifted her out of her seat, cussing under his breath when he almost hit her head on the car door. Once inside the bunker she mumbled something and pressed her face into Dean's chest. He passed Sam who was laying the last bag down and said,

"I'm going to bed, I already put the perishables in the fridge and cut all the power back on. Want me to lock down for the night?" Dean nodded and started up the stairs. He passed Sam's room and decided to put Amber in the room next to his. He kicked open the door and inspected the bed, it was covered in dust and smelled like stale rat poison. He turned and went back to his room where things were a little less dusty due to their visit about a month ago. The door was already ajar from Sam's inspection so he quietly kicked it closed behind him while he got Amber settled. By now Amber had looped her arms around Dean's neck, so he used his free hand to turn off the light and down the bedding and gently place her under the covers. _I can clean up her room and sleep there for the night._ He was turning to leave when she grabbed his wrist and scooted over. It took a few minutes for his brain to catch up.

"Are you hurtin'?" He asked her, whispering and leaning down closer to her. She shook her head and mumbled something in her semi-sleep state. He couldn't hear but she pulled on his wrist again and he finally took it to understand that she wanted him to get on the bed. "It's kind of a small bed, freckles." He chuckled at her. She spoke again but apparently had woken up enough to enunciate.

"I don't want to be alone." _Geez right to the heart, huh?_

"Okay, I'll stay…but if you want me to get out at any time just say the word, or kick me, or drool on me. Honestly any of those options will get rid of me pretty quickly." She was aware enough to smile at his joke and shuffle over more as the 6' 1" man crawled under the covers. It wasn't a twin , but it wasn't a full either. It was an odd custom size mattress that was just too small for two people, but Dean couldn't leave her if she wanted him to stay. He had resigned himself to turning the other way and hanging half off the bed when Amber grabbed his arm and held it to her chest and rested her head on his shoulder, he looked at her to find her eyes closed. Dark brown freckles dusted her nose and cheeks and her long black eyelashes were splayed out on her pink cheeks like fans. She let out a shuddering sigh and released his arm from her death grip and instead put one of her teeny hands on his stomach. He tried to restrain the huge smile on his face and close his eyes but for the first time in a long time...his reality was better than sleep.

***Your reviews make me so happy! Please leave a few more. Hope everyone's holidays were safe and happy!***


	11. Chapter 11

***Longer chapter this time...because exciting things happen! Enjoy and please leave a comment telling me what you think/what you want to happen!***

He awoke to a face full of hair. _Smells like coconuts. _He pulled his head back to remember that he was still with Amber and at some point in the night they had shifted to him spooning her with his arm wrapped around her middle. _This has really got to stop. Second time spooning the girl and we haven't so much as gone on a date. She doesn't even like me like that. _He pulled himself away and hobbled out of the room and clumsily found the bathroom to shower.

He exited the steamed up bathroom about 10 minutes later with a towel around his waist and prayed that Amber was either still asleep or out of the room so he could grab his clothes without her noticing. Not only was she not in the room but the bed was made. He quickly changed into a dark green flannel, jeans, and laced up his boots before rubbing his hair in the towel and tossing it on the ground and heading downstairs.

He smelled the bacon before he heard it sizzling. _Sammy is making...bacon? No grapefruit and Raisin Bran? _He descended the stairs and made his way to the kitchen to find Sammy sitting and talking to Amber as she awkwardly danced around the kitchen, keeping weight off her injured leg, to "Rag Doll" by Aerosmith while flipping pancakes. _Odd song choice for this early_ he thought, looking at the clock on the wall that said it was 9am.

"Morning!" cheered Sam who was eating oatmeal, but it looked like Amber had convinced him to put some brown sugar on top of it. Dean pulled up a chair and watched her twirl around and bob her head to the music. She was in her shorts and a slightly faded shirt with "Emory" printed on a pocket on the front left. He didn't know how but she already had a lay of the land in the kitchen and glided with ease to the cabinet where the age old dishes were kept. She strutted to the sink and gently washed the dust off and then dried it. Spinning back over to the stove she scooped some eggs on the plate and then a couple of strips of bacon, paused and then turned to Dean and cocked her head in question.

"More, definitely more" he said grinning at her as she swayed her hips and placed three more strips of bacon on his plate. He got up and poured himself a cup of coffee and then sat back down in time for Amber to hand him his food. She got her own food and sat in-between the boys munching happily, struggling to stay still as Foghat's "Slow Ride" came on. _Holy shit she's a good cook_. Dean shoveled the breakfast into his mouth and groaned._ And great taste in music._ Amber laughed at him and continued to fork her food into her mouth as well. Sammy was as delicate as ever, slowly eating his bowl full of oatmeal. Dean finished way before Amber and started to clean up when Sam told him that he would do it. Dean started to head to the garage to work on the impala when he remembered the clothes he got Amber. The bunker had heat, but it was an older system so she had to be somewhat cold in her shorts. He retrieved the bags from the library and was heading back to the kitchen when Amber passed him to go upstairs.

"Hey, um…these are yours."

"No they aren't" she said, looking confused.

"No, I meant I got them for you." Her eyes opened wider and she uncrossed her arms.

"Oh…well thank you. What is it?" He didn't answer and just handed her the three bags and took a couple of steps back. She opened one and without a word closed the space between them and hugged him. "Dean, you didn't have to do that! You bought my meal the other day too. How much do I owe you for everything?"

"It's nothin'really. Don't worry 'bout it." She frowned and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Well, thanks for keeping me warm last night…I know you were probably uncomfortable."

"No, that's actually a really soft bed." She laughed.

"Well meant because I was in there" he again chose not to reply and she awkwardly shuffled her feet. "So, Sam went to town. Said something about a bookstore and that he would be back around 6…which kind of a long time, but I went with it. "

"Yeah, there is this girl he's been talking to that works in a bookstore a couple of towns over. Takes about an hour to get there so he usually makes it an all day trip, did he say what car he took?"

"The old Chevy, I think." Dean nodded.

"Well, I'm gonna go work on baby…holler if you need anything." He turned and started towards the garage, immediately feeling bad for leaving her. He swiveled to invite her to come with him but she was already heading up the stairs.

He was elbow deep in grease and spare parts underneath the hood of the impala when the sudden ringing of his cell about 4 hours later made him jump and hit his head. Grumbling he answered,

"What?"

"Ooh, little tense there bro," Dean could practically hear the grin in Sam's voice. "What are you doing?"

"My fuel filter was clogged."

"Is Amber with you?"

"No…"

"You left her alone?"

"She's a grown woman, Sam."

"Yeah, but she is recovering from a bullet wound and is in a place she's never been before with guys that she hasn't seen in years."

"Fine, fine I get your point. I'll go check on her. Why'd you call in the first place?"

"I tried to call Amber but her cell was dead. I put apples on the shopping list for her because she eats them like crazy. I just wanted to let her know that they were in the kitchen."

"I'll tell her. Now quit calling and checking in on us and go put the moves on your girl."

"…bye Dean." After hanging up, he picked up a rag off the ground and used it to wipe the grease from his hands and started making his way back to the library. The room was dark so he started up the stairs to see if she was in her room when he heard something fall in the adjoined room that they had converted into a sort of living room. There was a couch, a TV, and they kept some movies and board games in there. He walked through the doorway to find Amber struggling to reach something on the top shelf of the closet at the back of the room. He walked up behind her, brushing her shoulder and causing her to shriek as he scared her. He chuckled and retrieved the box of movies she had been unable to reach moments before. She bent down and picked up the empty box she had knocked down. Groaning when she stood back up from her wound.

"There you are! Sorry, I promise I'm not snooping. Sam told me about the movies the other day."

"Hey, what's ours is yours." She smiled and blushed as he was still standing very close and they hadn't moved out of the closet. He cleared his throat and took a couple of steps back so she could move.

"Uh…I was gonna watch a movie if you wanted to join?" He started in on his excuse. _I have to work on the impala. I hate almost all those movies. I'm hungry. _But looking at her smiling at him changed his mind and his mouth answered,

"Sure." She beamed and plopped down on the ground and began to dig through her choices. He eventually bent next to her while she looked.

"Okay, thriller? Scary? Comedy? Action?" She asked and looked at him.

"What no Rom-Coms?" he asked, smirking. She rolled her eyes and continued digging.

"Those movies almost always suck… Okay here are two options and you have to choose. _The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly_? Or _The Breakfast Club_? I know those are pretty different choices but that's what I'm feeling." Dean blinked at her. _Who is this girl? Why does she have such good taste in movies?_

"Isn't the breakfast club just about a bunch of angsty teens?" He asked rolling his eyes pretending like he hadn't seen it multiple times.

"_The Breakfast Club _is one of the best movies of all time." She responded with a stern look on her face. He held his hands up in air in mock defeat and plopped back onto the couch and watched as she pushed the VHS tape into the player, the bunker was stuck in the '90s, and then fiddle with the ancient TV until the previews started. She ran back to the closet and grabbed a big quilt that she tossed to Dean and scurried out of the room muttering something about popcorn. Dean was half watching the old trailers that played before the movie started and half listening to Amber in the kitchen. He heard some beeping, some popping and about 3 minutes later Amber was back with two bottles of water and a bowl of popcorn. She handed him his water which he sat on the small table at the end of the couch and watched her stall as she placed the popcorn on the coffee table and pretend to look for the remote.

"I got it" he said smiling and waving the remote. _She's nervous about sitting so close to me_ he thought pride fully. "Do I smell bad or something? Come sit down, I won't bite…maybe."

_Could he smirk a little more? _She thought sarcastically. She felt the tips of her ears turning pink but she sat down next to him regardless and pulled the quilt over her and then tucked her feet under herself minding that she didn't bump her bandages. Dean scooted under the quilt too but then swung his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer.

"Kinda like a date, huh?"

"No!" Her ears were on fire. He chuckled and turned his attention to the TV where the movie was finally beginning. They watched the movie in silence, except the chuckles from Dean when Bender was under the desk and saw under Claire's skirt. Sometime around the scene where they were giving Allison a makeover, Amber shifted and put her legs up on the couch and put her head in Dean's lap. He didn't say anything and a little while later he casually lowered his hand off the back of the couch and tangled it in her hair. The movie ended and they sat in silence watching the end credits scroll down the screen.

"I think Andy's dad was like my dad. Ya know not in the whole, 'be the best at sports' thing but in the whole 'you're a disappointment thing.'" He said quietly, still stroking her hair.

"You're not a disappointment, Dean." He didn't respond so she sat up and faced him in the dimly lit room. "You are one of the most honorable men I have ever met. You save people all the time and you get no recognition, no payment. In fact, most of the time you get beat to hell for it. You give me credit for Sam but you are the reason he is alive today. You are the reason he is the man he is today. You are an incredibly beautiful man, Dean Winchester, and the world doesn't deserve you." She ended her monologue with watery eyes and at some point had stood up and was practically shouting. He stared back at her and then stood up in front of her after a few moments of silence. She lost her burst of courage and looked nervously at the amazing man standing in front of her staring her down. "I mean it" she said in a much quieter voice. At that, he smiled and lifted his hands to the sides of her face. She opened her mouth to say something else but then closed it when she couldn't find the words.

"Heh, finally speechless huh?" He chuckled at her. She nodded up at him and sighed.

"I think—" He shushed her and placed a finger over her lips. He lowered his hand to her waist and pulled her closer to him. _Is his face getting closer to mine? It is. Holy shit he's about to kiss me. Do I close my eyes? Ohmygawd he is beautiful and I'm about to touch his lips. _She shut off her inner monologue and closed her eyes just as Dean's lips met hers. She could feel her dopamine levels flood her system as his lips moved against hers. She could feel his stubble grate against her cheeks and his tongue traced her lower lip. She moved her hands to his neck as she opened her mouth and their kiss deepened. He grunted deep in his throat and she hung on to him as she felt like she was slipping away into a world where it was possible to feel this good. A loud cough caused them to break apart and look out into the hall…where Sam was staring at them with a shit eating grin.

***ooh cliffhanger! Leave me a comment!***


	12. Chapter 12

_***ANOTHER long chapter! Yay! It picks right back up where it left off so make sure you read Chapter 11.***_

"Glad to see that y'all weren't bored without me."

"Shit" Amber blurted. Dean just started laughing.

"I'm leaving again in the morning…Cassandra planned a picnic and a hike so I'll be gone all day."

"Sounds like fun" Dean said in response winding his arm around Amber's waist. She groaned internally at how awkward the situation was. _I finally get him to kiss me and Sammy saw it. _The several minutes of silence where Sam just looked back and forth between the two of them were enough to make Amber twist out of Deans grip and start cleaning up. She could see Dean frowning at her out of the corner of her eye but she just continued folding up the quilt and gathering their empty water bottles and the popcorn bowl. She slipped past Sam, avoiding eye contact, and practically ran to the kitchen

Dean started to follow her but was stopped by Sam grabbing his shoulder.

"Hey, I know you care about her. But I also know how you operate. If you aren't serious about this, cut it off now. She's different, Dean."

"I know that-" Dean started before Sam cut him off.

"No, I mean specifically with relationships she's different. She takes them very seriously.

"And? What are you trying to say?"

"You…don't take relationships seriously. You need to know that before you move forward. She believes in love. Not flings and unfortunately that is what you excel at." With that Sam turned and climbed the stairs to his room. Dean stood frozen in his thoughts before walking to the kitchen to find Amber compulsively scrubbing the popcorn bowl.

"I think you are gonna wear a hole in the plastic if you keep that up" he said coming up behind her. She jumped slightly but didn't turn to face him Instead she turned off the water and slowly started drying the bowl. "Sam isn't weirded out or anything. I think he is just concerned that I am going to take advantage of you." She still didn't say anything and kept her eyes to the ground as she walked past him to put the bowl up. He sighed at her stubborn silence and followed her over to the cabinet. "Well, I guess it's my turn to give my monologue now." She once again scooted past him to begin cleaning the sink, which Dean couldn't understand the reasoning behind. "All those things you said earlier...they are probably the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. The only reason they mean anything is because of who said them. You are so incredibly complex, and smart, and talented, …and beautiful...that I wake up each day trying to figure out how you encompass all that and also have room to be snarky, quirky, sassy, and just hilarious. I know that you tend to take these things slowly…and I don't even know what _this_ is. I'm not the best with—" he swallowed "… titles. But, I think you are special and I really want to take a chance on this… if you want to." Her shoulders tightened but she kept her back to him as she slowed her scrubbing.

"What are you saying?" He rubbed his head.

"Do you wanna do something tomorrow?" She turned at his question, looking amused.

"Do what?"

"Like go eat…or go do something outside the bunker" he grunted. She grinned and walked towards him.

"So …you are asking me out?" He crossed his arms.

"Are you saying yes?" She frowned again.

"Sam is okay with this? He knows that this is happening?"

"I'll talk to him in the morning." "

"Well, then I reckon we will touch base tomorrow then." She dried her hands on the towel and started to walk towards the stairs. After a second of thought, she turned back and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Dean on the cheek. "Good night," she called. _It would be a better night if we were still sharing a bed._

She woke up the next morning with butterflies already wreaking havoc in her stomach. She glanced at the clock next to her bed. _5:14 AM…wonderful. _She forced herself to lie there until 6 but then quickly got dressed in her yoga pants and pulled on one of the shirts Dean had bought her, laced up her tennis shoes and jogged down the stairs. Her leg was almost healed and Sam had shown her the gym the other day and she was eager to put it to use this morning in order to distract herself. She had dug her old iPod out of the mustang before she stored it and now she was thankful as she plugged it into the speakers and blasted her workout music. She just did simple stuff for about an hour…used the punching bag, sit ups, and ran on the treadmill they had. The old clock on the wall told her that Sam was probably up so she used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe the beads of sweat from her forehead and headed toward the kitchen. Sure enough, Sam was up and was fumbling around the kitchen trying to operate the coffee maker.

"Let me do that, kiddo" she smiled taking the mug from his hands. He grumbled something that resembled a 'thank you' and plopped down on a nearby bar-stool. She flew around the kitchen preparing his dark roast, and frying up some bacon and toaster waffles while Sam slowly joined the living. She set his plate and mug in front of him and he smiled and started munching happily. It was rare for him to eat this unhealthily but it was also rare for him to be up this early so she guessed he was just thankful for her help. She tried to eat but the butterflies had returned with a vengeance so she decided to head back to the gym after munching on some grapes.

"Have fun with Cassandra today. Make good choices!" she winked at him and giggled at his blush before trotting off to the gym.

Dean almost crushed his alarm clock when it went off around 7, but he forced himself out of bed when he remembered that Sam was leaving at 7:30 and he had to talk to him about this date with Amber. And boom, just thinking about her made his stomach twist and cold chills run up his spine. Not bothering to get dressed he shuffled down to the kitchen where he figured Sam would be eating. He found a plate in the microwave and poured himself a mug of coffee while he waited for it to heat up.

"Why are you up so early?" Sam asked, chipper and awake after eating.

"I have to ask you something" he responded and then paused to take a big gulp of his coffee. "I'm going to take Amber out today."

"Doesn't sound like a question to me."

"I mean…what do you think about that?" Sam looked down into his cup and then back up at Dean.

"I think…for some odd reason, you make her happy and she makes you happy. So, if you are going to be serious about it and not just take her to a bar or try to get laid, then I am really happy for you two." Chuckling at Sam's last remark Dean answered,

"I make no promises little brother." Sam didn't laugh and Dean cleared his throat and looked down at his hands. "I'm kidding. I'll be a perfect gentleman." Now Sam laughed.

"By the way…you know her family's reputation right?" Sam asked while grabbing the keys off the table and heading toward the door. Dean nodded, not sure where Sam was headed by saying that. "Well, if you want to see it in action, Amber is down in the gym and I told her about the obstacle course that we never use. Go make sure she isn't doing too much with her leg." They chatted for a few minutes about Dean's plans and then with a wave Sam was out the door. _Well I need to tell her that we are doing something today anyways…so I guess I can go down there. _He could hear loud music before he even got to the gym and cracked open the door. Miley Cryus' "Do my Thang" was playing but Dean didn't have time to mentally curse the music choice because he was immediately mesmerized by Amber flying through the air. She had just catapulted her body over a large log that the guys used in obstacle training, or used to, and was full out sprinting towards their rock wall which she jumped halfway up and then climbed in a matter of seconds. She jumped off the other side and summersaulted to a punching bag where she popped out of her roll and kicked swiftly before delivering several firm jabs. She grabbed a bow and a practice arrow off the floor and then flew into another sprint which ended with a flip. While still in the air, Dean watched as she pulled the bow back and aimed at a target on the far wall about 30 yards across the warehouse and hit it dead center. He was in awe, to say the least. She landed on her feet on foam padding and then trotted over to where her water bottle was laying. _She's not human. It's the only explanation. _She noticed him now, smiled and started towards him.

_Crap, I'm a mess. Why did he come in here_? She could feel the shorter stands of hair that normally frame her face sticking out awkwardly because her hair was in a ponytail. She wasn't wearing makeup and she hadn't bathed yet so she wasn't super pumped to see Dean on that basis alone and then about two steps into to closing the large space between them she remembered what her workout had made her forget.

"That was…kick ass, but doesn't your leg hurt?" he said staring at her like she was a strange creature. She shrugged and wiped her face with the hem of her shirt.

"It feels a lot better and I'm a little out of practice" she mumbled trying to keep her cheeks from reddening any more than her exertion had made them. He smiled at her and seemed to forget why he had come into the gym to begin with when his train of thought stuttered back to life.

"Oh! Um…you still up for hanging out today? Thought we could do something to get us out of the bunker and then get dinner? I need to finish up the Impala but it won't take me too long." She nodded but then hesitated as her thoughts caught up. "Sam gave us his blessing" he answered her unspoken question.

"Great…er I'll go get cleaned up. What should I put on?"

"Just something you are comfortable in, but wear a jacket. It's cooler today." Dean had planned to take her to this old car shop down the road. It had several oldies out front you could look at and the guy who owned was apparently a really cool guy but Sam had talked him out of it and told him to take her to the World's Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City nearby. Sam probably knew what he was talking about. He finished up the impala in about 15 minutes and went up to shower and change out of his greasy jeans. He thought about shaving but decided not to when he remembered a conversation that Sam had once with Amber over skype about beards.

_"It's too bad that yours is patchy when you grow it out, Sam. A real woman loves a good beard. They are so sexy; you'll just have to find a girl that likes a naked face."_

She had been tipsy when she said it but Dean decided that it was a good enough reason for him to let his scruff grow out a little more. He put on a pair of khaki pants and a red and white plaid button up to go under his leather jacket and made his way down to the library where he found Amber reading in his favorite armchair.

"Comfy, isn't it?" She jumped a little, not having noticed him due to her infatuation with the book. He looked at the cover. "Great Gatsby?"

"Yeah it's one of my favorites. I got done a little early and saw it on the shelf and thought I would read a chapter or two." She stood up and shuffled her feet. She was wearing her new jeans and a V-neck berry colored top that the store clerk had told Dean would look really good with Amber's coloring. He had to agree. She held the gray jacket he had gotten her on her arm.

"Well, let's get this show on the road" he smiled and led her down to the garage. She started toward the passenger door when Dean bounded past her and held it open for her. She blinked at him but slowly got in and buckled as he shut it behind her. He slid in the driver's seat and cranked the car. "I promised Sammy I would try to be a perfect gentleman tonight." Amber snorted and then covered her mouth quickly. He grinned over at her. "Well, I know it's a funny notion but I don't know if it's _that _funny." She started laughing again and the tension that had been building between the two melted away. The drive was about 15 minutes and they hopped out and walked to the pavilion where the twine was kept. Dean immediately walked up and poked the ball and walked its circumference while Amber read the sign aloud.

"Started by Frank Stoeber in 1953…it weighs about 18,000 pounds."

"Someone didn't have a life" Dean chuckled. She smiled and sat down on a bench facing it. It was around 3 pm but there wasn't another soul in sight. Dean sighed and plopped down next to her. "Sorry, this kind of blows" he said. She looked down at her feet and noticed a yellow line painted on the concrete. It trailed all the way down the sidewalk, past the parked impala and headed to town. She got up and started following it. "Uh…where ya going?" Dean asked. She looked back at him and pointed to the yellow line.

"We have to follow this" she answered matter-of-factly.

"No we don't…in fact I don't know if we should."

"Did you not read _The Wizard of Oz_?"

"Read it? No. I watched it. I also watched Dorothy get pelted with apples, and tortured by that green lady while on that yellow path." She ignored him, grabbed his hand and pulled him along. The yellow line zigged and zagged and looped but it was generally headed towards some of the shops in town. The first place it led them to was a small run down bookstore with several paintings in the window. At first, it looked like crappy copies of famous paintings but then Amber was cracking up and pointing. Dean looked again and noticed that Mona Lisa was cradling a ball of twine, and in the copy of "American Gothic", the twine was sticking off the end of the pitchfork. There was also a poor rendition of "The Starry Night" where one of the stars was a ball of twine. After Amber and Dean got a good laugh they walked into the store and looked around. Amber excused herself to look upstairs while Dean talked to the store clerk about directions.

"What is there to do around here…other than the twine?" he asked smirking.

"Yeah…nothing," answered the pimple faced middle aged man.

"Come on, man. You gotta give me something. This is the first date." He ended that last sentence with a pained look on his face. The worker seemed to soften and he rubbed his chin in thought before gasping in remembrance. He pulled out a wrinkled map with water stains.

"Well…you are in luck. We have a fall festival sort of thing every year and it's still going on until next week, November 15th." He pointed to a red star on the map. "Take Henderson Gap road and it's only about a 10 minute drive. It's real romantic." He folded the map back up and handed it to Dean. "Tell them that Marshal sent ya and they will give you a discount…well maybe. If Shannon is working you'll be paying full price." Dean nodded his thanks and walked up the creaking stairs to find Amber. He found her sitting Indian style among a pile of old dust caked leather bound books, eyes wide, and oblivious to anything else. He smiled and leaned against the wall just admiring the view for a bit. He let her be for about 5 minutes before he interrupted the silence.

"I've never seen anyone read so intensely before in my entire life" she gasped quietly, suddenly aware of his presence.

"Geez, I'm sorry. These books are amazing. They are medical journals from some of Cawker City's earliest doctors. I also found an earlier addition of _Sense and Sensibility_ so I'm basically in heaven." She clutched the books to her chest but stood and went to put them away. He waited for her and then walked her down and out the door.

"Hey, I forgot to get a map from the clerk. I'll be right back," he lied as he ran back in the door. He jogged back to the second level and grabbed each of the medical journals she had looked at and _Sense and Sensibility_ and ran downstairs. He checked him out and then Dean shoved the bag in his inner pocket of his jacked and walked back outside. This time he made sure he grabbed her hand first.

They walked in silence following the yellow line a little further into town and came to a quaint little inn they weren't planning on going in until Dean saw a sign that displayed in neon "Pie $1" then there was no stopping him. The inn was run by a little old lady named Lorraine and she made what Dean believed to be the best blueberry pie he had ever tasted. He ended up buying a whole one to take back to the bunker. She also cut them about 20 yards of twine as they were getting ready to leave and thrust the spool into Amber's hands.

"It's good luck for a couple in love to add to our ball of twine" she whispered and patted her arm. Dean pretended like he didn't hear as Amber blushed and practically ran out the door. They followed the line back to the ball of twine and Dean tucked the loose end under a strand already wrapped around the ball and started running around it rapidly. Amber stood laughing as he looped around until he went around her with the twine and pulled her tight to the mass of string.

"Hey! I don't think they would like a wriggling human added to their world record, Dean!" He made another loop and stopped in front of her smiling.

"I would ask if you are ready for dinner but it looks like you are all tied up." He said, cracking up at his own terrible pun. She tried to pull a bitch face but couldn't help but smile at how goofy he was being. He leaned closer, pressing her against the ball. "Looks like I've got you right where I want you." His breath ghosted over her lips and she decided it was time to make an escape before she was reduced to the puddle of butterflies she felt like. She slipped from the loose strands and snatched the spool from him and finished the job. He stood watching her, leaned against the post of the pavilion.

"Alright Mr. Winchester, what are our plans for dinner?" He grinned.

"Fair food?" she frowned. _What fair? _He held out his elbow and she looped her arm through it as he walked her to the impala. About 10 minutes of light chatting about the shops downtown and possible future hunts, Dean pulled onto a long dirt road and eventually led to a bright red barn and dozens of people mulling around. He parked and hopped out quickly to open her door before she could get out. "Where are we?" she asked taking the hand he offered her.

_***A lot of what I wrote in this chapter is true! I can't post a link here but just Google "__cawker city kansas ball of twine" and click on the very first result. __The next chapter will be the rest of their date! Please leave me a comment telling me what your thoughts are so far. (ALSO, I know its improbable for her leg to have healed that quickly but I am impatient and anything is possible in fiction.)***_

_ALSO did anyone catch my Gilmore Girls reference? Comment if you did. :)_


	13. Chapter 13

"Um…a fair?" He sounded unsure but children's laughter and the music led them to follow the small crowd a little further onto the farm. It opened up into a field where there was a Ferris wheel, several booths, even a field of sunflowers, and a pavilion where a band was playing "Perfect Day" by Lady Antebellum. She smiled as Dean tugged her hand to follow him to the entrance where he paid for their tickets.

"You didn't have to buy mine" she said as her hand was being marked with a sharpie. He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets looking at the fair.

"So, what now?" She grinned and grabbed his arm as she made a bee line for the sunflower field. She plunged down one of the rows leaving Dean at the edge of the field calling out that they probably weren't supposed to be running through them. She lifted her head to the early evening sky and forgot about all the stresses that were normally weighing down her conscience. She was a good ways into the depths of the field, breathing the fragrance of the soil and flowers and enjoying herself when she heard him calling her not too far away. "Marco?" she hollered, giggling.

"Real funny" she could practically hear the sneer in his response. She trotted a little further into the flowers when she saw his red plaid shirt peeking through the stems. "There you are!" he yelled bounding down the small path between the rows of flowers. He pounced on her as she tried to flee and they collapsed in a mass of laughter. He had her pinned and their faces were inching closer when a grunt brought them out of their stereotypical rom-com moment. Amber peeked past Dean's shoulder to see a man in soil stained jeans, boots, a green button up, and gardening gloves staring at them with a not-too-pleased look on his face.

"You crushed one of my prize flowers" he said still frowning. Sure enough, when they stood up there was a flower, bent stem and all mushed into the ground. Trying not to laugh Dean muttered an apology.

"I'm sorry sir, we'll pay for it." The farmer looked between the two of them and picked up the crushed one and handed it to Dean and then turned and cut another one and handed it to Amber.

"Well its buy one, get one on fair nights. So, you might as well get a pretty one for your gal here." Amber blushed deeply but took the flower gratefully. She could feel the farmer's stare on them as they walked back towards the main part of the fair.

"Hey, you wanna grab us something to eat? I'll go run and pay for these and stick them in the car."

"Yeah, sounds great. Hamburger?" Dean nodded and grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket.

"Let me buy dinner! You've been paying for everything." She objected.

"No way, little lady" he handed her a ten with a wink and ran off to the tent where you paid for the flowers. She stood in line at the food tent and when it was her turn she ordered two hamburgers, a beer, and a diet coke. She took their dinner to some fold up tables near the main stage and waited for Dean to get back.

"Enjoying the fair?" came a voice from behind her. She turned to see a man with muscles practically popping out of his plain black t-shirt who was walking towards her.

"Yeah, it's not like most fairs I've been to but I think that is a good thing," she responded. Her introverted personality already annoyed with a stranger conversing with her.

"Well I hate that you came here alone…I'm the security for the band but other than that I don't know anyone either" he said while sitting down in the chair across from hers.

"She's not here alone." She snapped her head away from the man's face to see Dean had returned from his trip to the car.

"Oh, my mistake…I was just making conversation."

"You didn't see the two plates of food?" Dean asked, not paired with his usual smirk.

"Like I said, my mistake. It was nice to meet you…?" The man stood from the seat and moved to stand closer to her.

"Amber" she finally voiced. The man smiled and reached for her hand. She took it and shook it firmly.

"Well, I am Colby. If you get bored," he glanced at Dean "I'll be over at the stage. I can even introduce you to the band." He ended his statement with a wink and walked away. She sighed deeply, glad to be back with familiar company, and reached for her hamburger but then noticed that Dean looked angry.

"What's wrong? Were the flowers not buy one, get one? Was the car okay?" He just stared at her.

"No, the flowers were fine and the car was good, but that guy was flirting with you." She laughed.

"He was just being polite, Dean."

"He winked at you. He basically implied that I was a boring date."

"A wink doesn't mean anything and I don't think you are boring so who cares?" At that, she took a bite of her hamburger and watched as Dean looked in Colby's direction with a glare but then relax and lifted his beer to his lips. Once they finished eating, Dean surprised her by taking hayride tickets out of his wallet.

"I got them at the same time as the flowers. It leaves in like 10 minutes so we should head over."

"I love hayrides!" she cheered. They walked over to the line forming behind the tractor hauling a hay filled trailer and as they stood listening to the other fair-goers mingle; Dean slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side.

"I've had a lot of fun tonight" he murmured close to her ear. Her nerve endings tickled at his breath ghosting over her skin.

"Me too" she breathed not daring to look up at him. The line started moving and soon they were nestled in a corner at the back of the trailer in some loose hay. Dean sat behind Amber with his legs stretched out and his right arm stretched over her shoulders. The ride was beautiful. The stars were visible for miles and the air was so clean. They passed a small pond and Amber was mesmerized by how the water was so still. Dean's arm lowered to the small of her back and she pressed closer to him, noting how warm he seemed to be all the time. "It's so beautiful," she said looking out at the pond again. She looked at Dean, who was staring at her, expecting him to agree with her but he instead grabbed her hand and stroked her fingertips.

"Sorry, I'm distracted." She felt her ears light on fire but decided to meet his eye line this time. The grass green orbs that God granted Dean as eyes were peering into hers with a kind of intensity that made her want to look away but also dive into deeper all at once. Before she could process the transition, Dean's hand left hers and cupped her neck as his lips pressed chastely against hers. Tiny explosions lit up behind her closed eyes. She blinked and he had retreated and was now laughing at the kids screaming a few hay bales over because some teenagers that had been waiting along the hayride trail to try and scare them. She laughed along with him as a 15 year old with plastic fangs and a bloodied white shirt ran out of the woods towards the trailer, hissing. _These people would shit themselves if they ever saw a real vampire._ She thought with a chuckle. He held her close for the rest of the ride and she let her mind slip into a peaceful bliss while kids screamed in fright around them.

Instead of waiting behind the slews of parents, kids, and teenagers to use the step stool at the front of the trailer she and Dean hopped over the side and he grabbed her hand once again as they made their way back to the main fair grounds. Dean glanced down at his watch to see it was about 10 minutes until 9, when the fair closed. He started to tell Amber that they should head out soon but when he looked up he was distracted by an approaching figure. _What was that guy's name? Colby? God, what's he gonna do this time? _He stepped forward, closer to Amber. She noticed the look on his face and looked over her shoulder to see Colby approaching. She turned to face him and plastered a strained smile when he started to talk.

"Y'all heading out so soon? The band has an after party you know…" Dean kept his frown and crossed his arms, Amber didn't say anything. "Free beer!" he incentivized. Dean perked up at that but knew it would probably make Amber uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to tell the guy off when her small voice squeaked from his side.

"Where is this after party?" Colby smiled, knowing he had them hooked and waved his hand for them to follow him. Dean looked at Amber in surprise and she shrugged.

"Let's live a little."

The band guitarist, when he wasn't playing guitar, worked at a bar about 15 minutes down the road. Dean was reluctantly following Colby in his huge fire engine red truck when they approached the little bar called The Tavern. Colby parked, _bastard took up two spots_, and hopped out waving them to follow him. Dean walked alongside Amber as she slowly made her way to the door.

"Are you sure you're up to this, little miss goody two shoes?" She looked at him with a face that he remembers Sam warning him about. It was a face that was eager to accept a challenge. Without a word, she pushed into the bar and situated herself on a bar-stool a couple of seats away from Colby, who ignored that and scooted next to her anyways. Dean grit his teeth and took a pull from the beer he was handed.

Not 15 minutes later, Amber had downed the three shots that Colby had bought her and still seemed to be cool as a cucumber. She was a little giggly and kept complimenting people but otherwise you wouldn't know that she had consumed that much alcohol. Dean had only had two beers because he had to drive…and he didn't like the way Colby kept eyeing Amber who was grabbing Dean's arm and whispering something not so quietly.

"What?" he asked

"I SAID…that you look really nice in that shirt, Dean." She smiled and reached for her free beer.

"Mmmm I think you are done tonight" he said trying to gently pry the bottle from her fingers. She shook her head and held onto it. He finally relented. "Okay but now you have to stick to beer for the rest of the night, okay?" She nodded with the bottle perched in-between her lips. Dean really had to pee but he absolutely refused to leave Amber with Colby practically groping her every time Dean glanced away. He would have said something if Amber wasn't defending herself as efficiently as she was.

"Dude, touch me one more time and I will fillet your balls" Dean practically snorted his beer out his nose. He stood up and grabbed Amber's wrist.

"Okay, it's time to go." Amber let out a whine but let Dean pull her off her stool and lead her to the door. Colby stumbled after them and grabbed at Amber's arms.

"Hey party's just getting started, baby" he messily whispered into her neck. She pushed at his chest but he persisted and grabbed her waist. She kept telling him no but he ignored her. Dean closed the space between them and with a swing of his fist; Colby was knocked on the ground. He tried to sit up but instead emptied his stomach contents on the ground. Dean pushed Amber towards the door as Colby's friends started yelling at him. One took a swing and clipped Dean in the cheekbone which knocked him back a few steps. He turned back in time to see Amber stride forward and connect her fist to the stomach of the guy that hit Dean. The hit made him stumble but he was laughing at her. She apparently didn't like that because seconds later she spun and kicked him in the jaw with the heel of her foot. Sympathy groans resounded from around the room as the guy took a step back and stared at her as he held his jaw moaning in pain. She immediately turned, grabbed Dean and started to walk him out the door but seconds later began leaning onhim Dean for support. He helped her in the passenger seat of the impala and then went around and slid in himself. He made sure she was buckled and then sped out of the parking lot ready to get home. She was pretty quiet the whole way back. Dean wasn't sure if it was because of the amount of alcohol in her system or the fact that their first date had ended so badly. _I always fuck this shit up. Can't have something end nicely for once in my screwed up life? _Dean bit back the tears pressing forward and gripped the steering wheel tighter. He was drawing up plans in his head to slowly cut ties with Amber so she could return to her normal, happy life without him when he felt a hand on his arm.

"You're thinkin' real hard over there" she said quietly. Dean didn't respond. He was driving with his left hand while the right one was balled up into a fist resting on his thigh. She placed her hand over his fist and then laid her head on his shoulder. His anger seeped out of his body upon contact and he couldn't help the smile that sprang to his lips. He let his fist relax and she threaded her fingers through his. They sat like that in comfortable silence for the remainder of the drive. They got back to the bunker around midnight and they walked in silent and Dean thought they were going to go their separate ways without talking about it when Amber plopped down on a couch in the library and stared at him.

"What?"

"Tonight was the most fun I have had in ages."

"Well, you are just lying. We looked at twine, went to a makeshift fair where I tackled you and crushed a flower, and then we went to a bar where I got in a fight" saying it all out loud made Dean want to crawl into a hole and forget it happened.

"Yeah the twine was weird but being with you made it enjoyable. It's something I won't forget. And the fair was so fun, and sweet…even romantic if you want to use that word. The bar? Well, the bar was my choice and while you may have started the fight I finished it. I know it's not what some people may call a perfect date but who said I signed on for perfect? I signed on for Dean Winchester and that's what I got." Dean didn't know how she was so good with words with two shots and a couple of beers in her system but she made him feel better about the night. She stood and grabbed the collar of his jacket while she crushed her lips against his. It didn't get a chance to deepen before she took a step back and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Crap! Sorry, I get impulsive when I drink." He just shook his head and pulled her back to him after wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I think I like impulsive Amber" he said inching closer. They had kissed before and even moments earlier but she still felt like it was the first time as his lips slotted against hers, gently this time. Their mouths melded and his hand inched under her shirt and his thumb rubbed small circles on her skin. Her fingers clutched at one bicep while the other hand rested on his shoulder trying to find a tie to gravity as she felt like she was floating. The kiss grew even more heated as they moved to the couch. Amber was pretty sure it didn't get better than this. She had only been serious with a couple but every little thing that Dean did totally destroyed everything each of her old boyfriends had done. Dean moved to her neck and she couldn't help the groan that seeped out of her mouth. His hands were in her hair as he lowered her so she was reclining against the couch arm and he was hovering over her. One hand gripped his back as the other gently rested on his shoulder as their kiss slowly became more passionate. She felt like she was having an out of body experience as she used her hand on his back to pull his torso closer to hers. He grunted deep in his throat. It wasn't that Amber was super experienced or super inexperienced. She was medium experienced. She felt like that a kiss shouldn't be affecting her like it was. She couldn't breathe but somehow found enough air to continue kissing him. She couldn't find it in herself to think about technique. She at first thought that her brain was blissfully blank but she later came to the decision that it wasn't empty of thought but rather filled to the brim of just _Dean._ The way his eyes seemed brighter when he was picking on his brother. The grease that spotted his forearms after spending an afternoon under the Impala's hood. How he always was willing to help someone despite how horrible life had been to him. The fact that he looked at her the same whether she had just woken up or was all decked out in eyeliner and heels. The kiss was good because it was with him and that was the decision Amber had come to when Dean pulled away breathlessly.

"We gotta stop or this whole being a gentleman thing isn't gonna work out" she stared up at him. She attempted words but all that game out was a small groan. He helped her off the couch and she wringed her hands while he stared at her.

"I guess we should go to bed" her voice squeaked and then she realized her sentence's implications. "Separately! I mean…in our own rooms." He gulped and nodded and they both started towards the stairs. She nodded for him to go first and consequently got an eyeful of his rear. _How on earth does a man with an ass like that have any interest in me?_ Dean got to his room first and paused at the door as Amber walked to the room next to his and looked at him. "Well…goodnight" she said gripping her door's handle.

"Sleep tight" he said before entering his room and shutting the door behind him.

_**Hope you enjoyed another long chapter! Just a reminder to always drink responsibly and to not get in bar fights. Leave me a review please!**_


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